Louisiana Set To Launch Online Sportsbooks Friday

After being delayed several times, Louisiana is set to launch the first batch of their state-regulated mobile sportsbooks on Friday.
When Louisiana launched their retail sportsbooks in October, they rolled them out in batches – it is highly likely the Gaming Control Board takes that same approach for the mobile sportsbooks.

BATON ROUGE, LA. – After much anticipation and several delays, Louisiana has finally received word of an official launch date for their state-regulated mobile sportsbooks: Friday.

Mobile Sportsbooks To Be In Place For Super Bowl, Conference Championships

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board has not been overly transparent with their launch timeline, and they have pushed back the tentative launch date several times. When the first land-based sportsbook licenses were issued in the fall of last year, the Board claimed January 1, 2022 as their goal launch date for mobile sportsbooks; however, that date came and passed without a launch and the Board moved their sights to the Super Bowl on February 13.

Since then, the Board – along with legal sports betting industry insiders – have maintained that having mobile sportsbooks in place prior to this year’s Super Bowl is their primary goal. A successful launch on January 28 would certainly satisfy that desire, coming just in time to accept wagers on the NFL’s Conference Championship Games as well as the Super Bowl.

Rolling Launch Of Louisiana’s Mobile Sportsbooks Likely

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board is expected to issue several temporary licenses to allow for a smooth and prompt launch on Friday. According to Louisiana’s enabling sports betting legislation, twenty casinos are eligible for mobile sportsbook licenses, with each permitted to apply for two separate skins – this means that up to a total of 40 mobile licenses will need to be issued.

Considering the large amount of mobile sportsbook licenses that will eventually need to be issued, it is very possible the Gaming Control Board takes the same approach to mobile sportsbook licensing as they did with retail sportsbooks a few months ago.

When retail sportsbooks launched in Louisiana in October of 2021, licenses and permits were issued in batches. So far, a total of 13 retail sportsbook licenses have been issued out of the 20 eligible venues, with the rest expected to be issued in the following weeks. This gives bettors a rough timeline of what to expect for the mobile launch: a first batch will likely launch on January 28, with other batches launching periodically thereafter.

Retail Sports Betting Leaders To Be First To Market

The two sportsbooks with the largest land-based casino markets in Louisiana – Caesars and Penn National – were among the first batch of mobile licensees, according to Legal Sports Report. This should set those two sportsbooks on course for a smooth launch on Friday. Besides these two operators, bettors can expect to see the bigger names of Louisiana’s sports betting industry launch, which have already established a presence in the state. DraftKings, BetMGM, and FanDuel are among the operators that have a good chance of appearing alongside Caesars and Penn National in the first batch of licensees.

As seen in other states with a rolling launch, being the first to market often comes with a large, loyal market share – combined with the fact that the two sportsbooks already enjoy the largest shares of the retail sports betting market in the state, Caesars and Penn National are poised to bring in gaudy numbers, especially in the early weeks after launch when the number of competitors is at its lowest.

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Jerad Paparella

Jerad has been a welcomed addition to the LegalSportsBetting.com writing team. Covering topics regarding the expansion of sports betting in the US, Jerad focuses on legislative efforts, bill signings and other methods for sports betting legalization. Finishing his education as a college baseball player, Jerad has first-hand knowledge of competitive sports, paired with years of personal sports betting as well. As a political science major at the University of Central Florida, Jerad covers the political, legal, and legislative aspects of sports gambling without any issues.