Louisiana Sports Betting: Legal LA Sportsbooks, Apps & Bonuses

Yes. Sports betting is fully legal and regulated in Louisiana, both through mobile apps and at retail sportsbooks. The market operates under the Louisiana Sports Wagering Act, and every licensed operator answers to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.

Louisiana took an unusual approach to legalization. Rather than a single statewide vote, residents decided the question parish by parish in the November 2020 election. Voters in 55 of the 64 parishes approved sports betting. The nine parishes that voted no are Caldwell, Catahoula, Franklin, Jackson, La Salle, Sabine, Union, West Carroll and Winn. Sportsbooks use geolocation technology to block any wager placed from inside those nine parishes.

If you live in one of the opt-out parishes, you can still create an account and deposit funds, but you cannot place a wager until you travel into a parish where betting is approved. You do not need to be a Louisiana resident to bet. Anyone 21 or older who is physically inside an approved parish can wager, which is why bettors from neighboring states regularly cross into Louisiana to use the apps.

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board lists 10 licensed sportsbook platforms in total. In addition to the eight live books above, the board has also licensed Twin Spires (Churchill Downs Interactive Gaming) and Bally’s Bet (Bally’s Interactive), neither of which is currently operating a live mobile sportsbook in the state. Because each of the state’s 20 casinos may run up to two online brands and the lottery may run one, Louisiana can support as many as 41 online sportsbooks at full capacity, so additional operators may launch over time. You can confirm the current list of licensed platforms directly through the Gaming Control Board at lgcb.dps.louisiana.gov.

Are Offshore Sportsbooks Legal or Regulated in Louisiana?

No. Offshore sportsbooks are not legal or regulated in Louisiana. They operate from jurisdictions such as Panama and Curacao and hold licenses issued by those foreign governments, not by any U.S. state. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board has actively moved against offshore operators. In August 2024 it issued a cease-and-desist order to Bovada, and the company complied in September 2024 by adding Louisiana to its list of restricted states and removing access for residents. The board also directed Bovada to return remaining account balances to Louisiana players. Because of that enforcement action, Bovada no longer accepts Louisiana players and is not listed in this section.

The Risks of Betting Offshore

Offshore betting carries real downsides that do not exist with licensed Louisiana sportsbooks. There is no state consumer protection: if an offshore book withholds a payout, freezes an account or shuts down, you have no recourse through the Louisiana Gaming Control Board or any U.S. authority. Offshore sites are not bound by Louisiana’s responsible gaming rules, many rely on cryptocurrency because U.S. banks frequently decline card deposits, and access can vanish overnight, as Bovada’s exit showed. Offshore operators also do not issue tax forms, yet you remain legally obligated to report winnings.

With eight licensed, regulated sportsbooks available across most of the state, there is little reason for Louisiana bettors to take on this added risk. The reviews below are provided for transparency, not as an endorsement.

DraftKings Sportsbook at Golden Nugget Lake Charles

Frequently called Louisiana’s largest sportsbook, this DraftKings-branded venue spans more than 10,000 square feet of sports-bar and grill space, with over 3,200 square feet of LED video walls, roughly 300 lounge seats, VIP viewing areas and 30 self-serve kiosks. It is a major destination for bettors in the Lake Charles area. Address: 2550 Golden Nugget Blvd., Lake Charles.

Caesars Sportsbook at Caesars New Orleans

Located downtown near the Caesars Superdome, this Caesars-branded book features four betting windows and 12 self-service kiosks across a 5,700-square-foot space. It carries partnerships with the Saints and Pelicans and draws both tourists and locals. Address: 228 Poydras St., New Orleans.

Caesars Sportsbook at Horseshoe Bossier City

Caesars opened this northwest Louisiana book in 2022, offering full-service betting and kiosks across roughly 6,900 square feet, with a wall of televisions for game-day viewing. It anchors the Shreveport-Bossier gaming corridor. Address: 711 Horseshoe Blvd., Bossier City.

Caesars Sportsbook at Horseshoe Lake Charles

Caesars operates a third retail location at its Lake Charles property, drawing bettors from southwest Louisiana and eastern Texas. The resort setting includes a hotel, dining and gaming. Address: 777 Avenue L’Auberge, Lake Charles.

FanDuel Sportsbook at Delta Downs Racetrack and Casino

This full-scale FanDuel sportsbook sits inside the Delta Downs racetrack casino in Vinton, just eight miles from the Texas line, making it a draw for out-of-state bettors. Address: 2717 Delta Downs Drive, Vinton.

FanDuel Sportsbook at Evangeline Downs

Evangeline Downs in Opelousas pairs live horse racing with a full-scale FanDuel sportsbook, giving racing fans and sports bettors one destination. Address: 2235 Creswell Lane, Opelousas.

FanDuel Sportsbook at Sam’s Town Shreveport

Sam’s Town runs a FanDuel sportsbook with kiosks and full-service betting windows and has also worked with BetMGM. It serves the Shreveport-Bossier market. Address: 315 Clyde Fant Parkway, Shreveport.

FanDuel Sportsbook at Treasure Chest Casino

This Kenner riverboat casino hosts a FanDuel sportsbook with three betting windows and 16 kiosks, serving the greater New Orleans area. Address: 5050 Williams Blvd., Kenner.

FanDuel Sportsbook at Amelia Belle Casino

A traditional riverboat casino on the bayou, Amelia Belle hosts a FanDuel sportsbook and also serves as the licensing partner for bet365’s online product in the state. Address: 500 Lake Palourde Road, Amelia.

theScore Bet at L’Auberge Lake Charles

The Penn Entertainment property at L’Auberge Lake Charles carried Barstool branding before switching to theScore Bet. The book features dozens of televisions and a full slate of betting kiosks. Address: 777 Avenue L’Auberge, Lake Charles.

The Sportsbook at L’Auberge Baton Rouge

This Penn-owned Baton Rouge property operates a sportsbook with a large video wall and roughly 20 betting kiosks. It previously carried Barstool branding. Address: 777 L’Auberge Ave., Baton Rouge.

DraftKings Sportsbook at The Queen Baton Rouge

The Queen Baton Rouge features a DraftKings sportsbook with four betting windows and 20 kiosks, serving the capital region. Address: 1717 River Road, Baton Rouge.

Betfred Sportsbook at Paragon Casino Resort

Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville holds a place in state history as the site of Louisiana’s first legal retail bet, placed Oct. 6, 2021. Its Betfred-branded book, known as The Draft Room, launched the entire market. Address: 711 Paragon Place, Marksville.

The Rez Sportsbook at Coushatta Casino Resort

Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder runs The Rez Sportsbook and is affiliated with the BetRivers online product. Address: 777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder.

The Sportsbook at Margaritaville Resort Casino

The Margaritaville property in Bossier City operates a retail sportsbook serving the northern Louisiana market. Address: 777 Margaritaville Way, Bossier City.

Other Retail Venues

Additional retail sportsbooks and betting facilities operate at Louisiana Downs and Boomtown Bossier City in the Bossier City area, Boomtown New Orleans in Harvey, Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge and Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans.

Key Bonus Terms to Understand

Before claiming any offer, check the wagering or playthrough requirement, the expiration window (often seven to 14 days), the minimum odds, the maximum bet while using a bonus and the maximum payout. A large headline number means little if the terms are hard to clear.

Louisiana Sports Betting Promotion Rules

State law does not micromanage bonus amounts, but it does require operators to follow consumer-protection and advertising rules adopted by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. Sportsbook promotions and advertisements may not contain false or misleading information, may not fail to disclose material conditions or limiting factors, and must include problem gambling resources and a helpline. Operators must also submit internal controls covering account security, responsible gambling, patron disputes and withdrawals for approval. The board can issue or revoke a license based on the character and reputation of an operator, which gives sportsbooks a strong incentive to treat customers fairly. The general advertising and promotion guidelines appear in the Louisiana Administrative Code, Title 42.

Benefits of Joining Multiple Sportsbooks

There is no rule against holding accounts at several Louisiana sportsbooks, and doing so has clear advantages: you can claim multiple welcome bonuses, shop for the best line on every bet, take advantage of each app’s unique features and odds boosts, and keep a backup option if one app goes down during a big game.

Louisiana’s path to legal sports betting began with the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Murphy v. NCAA, which struck down the federal ban known as PASPA and let individual states decide the issue. Lawmakers explored the question in 2018 and again in 2019, when sports betting bills gained momentum but failed to pass before the session ended.

The first concrete step came in June 2020, when the legislature passed Senate Bill 130 to authorize a statewide parish-by-parish referendum. Gov. John Bel Edwards signed it, putting the question on the November 2020 ballot. Voters in each parish answered a single question on whether to permit sports wagering in their parish. Fifty-five of the 64 parishes voted yes. In East Baton Rouge, the most populous parish, the measure passed with about 68 percent support.

With voter approval secured, lawmakers built the regulatory framework during the 2021 session, passing three bills: Senate Bill 247, the Louisiana Sports Wagering Act, which created the licensing structure; House Bill 697, which set the taxes and fees; and Senate Bill 142, which directed how sports betting tax revenue would be distributed. Gov. Edwards signed the package into law on June 22, 2021. To launch quickly, the Gaming Control Board adopted emergency regulations in the fall of 2021.

Retail betting launched first. On Oct. 6, 2021, Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville opened the state’s first sportsbook, and former Saints star Joe Horn placed the ceremonial first bet. Caesars followed at the end of October with retail books at Harrah’s New Orleans and Horseshoe Bossier City. Mobile betting went live on Jan. 28, 2022, when six operators opened simultaneously: Caesars, BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetRivers and Barstool. The market has expanded and evolved since, with bet365 arriving in November 2023 and Fanatics in August 2024.

Sports betting in Louisiana operates under the Louisiana Sports Wagering Act, codified at Louisiana Revised Statutes 27:601 through 27:628. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board holds full regulatory authority over licensing, investigation and enforcement. The framework allows up to 20 sportsbook licenses, available to the state’s riverboat casinos, racetrack casinos, the land-based casino in New Orleans and the state lottery. Each licensed casino may run a retail sportsbook plus up to two online brands, or skins, and the lottery may run one online app and install betting kiosks at bars and restaurants. That structure means the market can support as many as 41 online brands at full capacity.

Operators pay a one-time application fee of 250,000 dollars and a licensing fee of 500,000 dollars every five years. The law also defines a sports event broadly to include professional, college, amateur, Olympic and international competitions, motor racing and esports, while expressly excluding high school and youth sports.

Official Government Resources

Where Sports Betting Tax Revenue Goes

Senate Bill 142 set out how Louisiana distributes its sports betting tax revenue. Proceeds are directed to several state funds, including the Behavioral Health and Wellness Fund, which supports problem gambling and mental health services; the Sports Wagering Purse Supplement Fund, which supports the state’s horse racing industry; and the Sports Wagering Local Allocation Fund, which sends money to the parishes that approved betting. Beginning in August 2025, a quarter of the new tax revenue from the rate increase is directed to the SPORT Fund for college athletics, described in the revenue section below.

College Betting Rules

Betting on college sports is legal in Louisiana, including on in-state programs such as LSU, Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette. However, the Gaming Control Board banned proposition bets on individual college athletes effective Aug. 1, 2024. Under that order, only proposition bets based on full team statistics are permitted. The board’s chairman said the move was intended to protect the integrity of sports betting and the safety of college athletes, and it followed a national push by the NCAA after reports of athletes being harassed by bettors. In 2026, a bill to expand the prohibition to professional player props and micro-betting, Senate Bill 354, was withdrawn after the Gaming Control Board projected it would cost the state an estimated 37.8 million dollars in annual tax revenue.

What You Cannot Bet On

Louisiana keeps wagering tied to legitimate, regulated sporting events. Prohibited wagers include high school and youth sports, individual college player props, and the occurrence of injuries or penalties, the outcome of disciplinary rulings and replay reviews. The state generally does not permit betting on non-sporting events such as political elections, award shows or reality television outcomes. Bets on Russian and Belarusian teams and athletes have also been suspended. The board maintains a catalog of approved leagues and bet types, and operators must receive approval before offering any new category of wager.

Esports Betting

Esports betting is legal in Louisiana, but it is handled carefully. The Sports Wagering Act authorizes wagers on competitive video game events, and the Gaming Control Board reviews each event individually. The board will consider allowing wagering on an esports event only if it is sanctioned by the Esports Integrity Commission and the operator is an anti-corruption supporter with that body.

Age and Location Requirements

You must be 21 or older to bet on sports in Louisiana, whether online or at a retail book. You must also be physically located in one of the 55 approved parishes, which sportsbooks verify through geolocation technology. For horse racing, the minimum age is 18.

Who Is Restricted From Betting

Louisiana sportsbooks may not accept wagers from anyone under 21, anyone located in an opt-out parish, sportsbook employees or members of their household, self-excluded individuals, or athletes, coaches, referees, officials or team staff connected to the event they are trying to bet on. Jockeys, horsemen and racing officials are likewise barred from betting on horse racing events in which they participate.

Louisiana taxes online sports betting revenue at 21.5 percent and retail revenue at 10 percent. The online rate rose from 15 percent on Aug. 1, 2025, after Gov. Jeff Landry signed House Bill 639. The increase brought online sportsbooks in line with the 21.5 percent rate already paid by brick-and-mortar casinos. A quarter of the new tax revenue is directed to the SPORT Fund, which stands for Supporting Programs, Opportunities, Resources and Teams. The fund channels money to Division I public universities, including LSU, Louisiana Tech and McNeese State, to help cover scholarships, insurance, medical coverage and facility upgrades. Louisiana was the first state to formally tie sports wagering tax revenue to college athletic department funding.

In March 2026, online betting accounted for roughly 95 percent of all wagers placed in the state, the highest online share on record, while retail handle fell to its lowest March figure since launch. The state’s tax take more than doubled year over year, driven both by the higher rate and by a return to a normal hold percentage after an unusually low operator margin the previous March. Official monthly revenue reports are published by the Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division.

Taxes on Your Winnings

Gambling winnings are taxable income at both the federal and state levels. Louisiana taxes gambling winnings as ordinary income through its graduated brackets, and federal rules require reporting as well. Bettors who itemize may be able to deduct losses. Because offshore operators do not issue tax forms, the obligation to report still falls on the bettor.

Mobile betting is the dominant way Louisiana residents wager, making up roughly 95 percent of the state’s total handle. All eight licensed operators offer apps for both iOS and Android, along with mobile-friendly websites. Geolocation technology checks that you are physically inside one of the 55 approved parishes before accepting a bet, and it blocks wagers attempted from the nine opt-out parishes. Louisiana allows full remote registration, so you can sign up, verify your identity and place bets entirely from your phone without visiting a casino. You can still log in, deposit and withdraw from out of state, but you must be inside a state with legal online betting to place a wager.

Every major Louisiana sportsbook offers live, in-game betting that lets you wager on events as they unfold, with odds that update in real time. bet365 and FanDuel are particularly well regarded for the depth and responsiveness of their live betting platforms, including animated trackers and live streaming where available. Same-game parlays, which combine multiple outcomes from a single event, are among the most popular products in the state and a significant driver of operator revenue.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints are the heartbeat of Louisiana betting. Home games at the Caesars Superdome drive heavy action on moneylines, spreads, totals, player props and Super Bowl and division futures, with sportsbooks frequently running Saints-specific boosts and promos.

New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans give the state an NBA betting focal point, with popular markets on team totals, spreads, player performance props and same-game parlays. Books often boost odds on marquee Pelicans matchups.

LSU Tigers

LSU is one of the most heavily bet college programs in the country, with national football championships in 2003, 2007 and 2019. Tiger Stadium game days drive significant wagering on SEC matchups, spreads, totals and College Football Playoff futures, subject to the state’s ban on individual college player props.

Other College Programs

Beyond LSU, Louisiana bettors follow Tulane in the American Athletic Conference, Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe in the Sun Belt and Louisiana Tech, all of which draw action on game lines and futures during football and basketball season.

Major Events Hosted in Louisiana

The state hosts marquee events that spike betting interest, including the Sugar Bowl and frequent College Football Playoff and March Madness games at the Caesars Superdome, occasional Super Bowls and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a PGA Tour event at TPC Louisiana known for its two-man team format.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Daily fantasy sports are legal and regulated in Louisiana. Voters approved DFS in a 2018 referendum across 47 of the 64 parishes, and the Gaming Control Board administers the program. As of 2026 the licensed market is effectively a two-operator field, with DraftKings and FanDuel holding active DFS licenses. As with sports betting, DFS availability depends on whether your parish approved it.

Horse Racing Betting

In-person and online horse racing betting are legal under Louisiana law and regulated by the Louisiana Racing Commission rather than the Gaming Control Board. The state has four racetracks plus off-track betting facilities, and advance deposit wagering through licensed online platforms is authorized by statute. The minimum age for pari-mutuel horse betting is 18, and fans can wager on national events such as the Kentucky Derby.

Prediction Markets

Prediction market apps such as Kalshi, FanDuel Predicts and Polymarket are accessible to Louisiana residents and operate under federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission oversight rather than state gaming law. State regulators have pushed back on sports-based event contracts, and in December 2025 the Gaming Control Board warned licensed sportsbooks to avoid offering prediction-market style products.

Casinos and Online Casino Status

Louisiana has a large land-based casino industry, including riverboat casinos, the lone land-based casino in New Orleans, racetrack casinos and licensed video poker. Real-money online casinos, however, remain illegal, and there is no serious effort underway to legalize them. Online sweepstakes casinos filled that gap until July 2025, when the state attorney general issued an opinion declaring them illegal gambling under state law, prompting mainstream sweepstakes operators to exit Louisiana. Lawmakers have since advanced measures to strengthen enforcement against unregulated sweepstakes sites.

Self-Exclusion and Voluntary Exclusion

Louisiana maintains a voluntary exclusion program through the Gaming Control Board. The state’s central program traditionally requires enrolling in person at a Gaming Enforcement Division location, and the request form specifically covers sports wagering platforms. Once accepted, a self-excluded person may not enter Louisiana casinos or use online sports betting platforms for a minimum of five years. In addition, every licensed betting app maintains its own self-exclusion option that customers can join online. More detail and the request form are available on the Gaming Control Board’s voluntary exclusion page at lgcb.dps.louisiana.gov.

Athlete Harassment Protections

In 2026, lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 325, which creates penalties for bettors who harass athletes, reflecting growing concern about the human toll of betting-related abuse on college and professional players.

Louisiana’s market still has room to grow. With each casino and racetrack able to partner with up to two online brands, plus a lottery license, the state could eventually support as many as 41 online sportsbooks, well above the eight currently live. Two additional operators, Twin Spires and Bally’s Bet, already hold platform licenses, and books such as Betfred, which runs a retail sportsbook at Paragon, and Golden Nugget have been mentioned as potential online entrants. Legislative attention in 2025 and 2026 has centered on enforcement against unregulated sweepstakes and prediction-market products, while individual parishes that opted out in 2020 could revisit the question in future elections. Online casino legalization, by contrast, appears unlikely in the near term.