Legal Sports Betting in Louisiana on the November 3 Ballot

The subject of legal sports betting in Louisiana is finally coming to a head. After two years of negotiation, speculation and a push from various interested parties, whether or not the state adopts their own sports betting platform will finally be put to voters on November 3. The vast majority of legislators in the state have already signaled a willingness to adopt their own sports betting platform, but before laws are passed, those same lawmakers will need approval from their citizens.

Louisiana looked to be on a path toward legal sports betting early this year but just like seemingly everything on the planet, was derailed thanks to COVID-19. But thanks to a group of supporters called "Louisiana Wins", the subject has been brought to the forefront yet again and is targeting voters ahead of the November Election.

What "Louisiana Wins" Is Fighting For

Louisiana Wins, as a group is adopting a format that has worked in other states already. Their plight highlights the financial benefits of a legal sports betting platform, both amount of money that will be generated by infrastructure projects, jobs in the sector and the amount of tax revenue that is likely to come from legal sports betting. Tax revenue alone is estimated to be about $300 million per year for the state.

Louisiana Wins has identified schools, roads, and bridges as the biggest beneficiaries of the tax revenue generated in the state and is highlighting the number of local and state legislators that have jumped on board the legalization discussion. Anything to help out the struggling coffers in the state is seen as a winner for any platform to move forward.

In a note on their webpage, Louisiana Wins states that “Louisiana should legalize and tax sports wagering like it does other gaming, keeping that revenue in Louisiana to fund our urgent needs like K-12, early childhood education, or repair our roads and bridges”.

The group hasn't been shy about mentioning the amount of sports betting money flowing across state lines and benefitting other jurisdictions. The campaign recently stated that: “We are losing as much as $330 million of revenue, even as our residents cross the border to Arkansas and Mississippi for legalized sports betting there.”

What the Election Will Tell Us

Louisiana law will give the power to each parish - whether or not they agree with welcoming a legal sports betting platform. The unique approach gives each of Louisiana's 60 such parishes a fair bit of power and mandates that consent will have to be unanimous in order to proceed. That unanimity is something that has been and will continue to be very difficult to achieve.

Daily Fantasy Sports for instance fell victim to this approach a few years ago when the majority, not all parishes (47 of 60) agreed to some form of DFS in the state. In turn, the ideal of legal Fantasy Sports in the state was quashed, and is still not legally up-and-running today.

The Chances

If the DFS vote is any indication on how Louisiana votes, the chances aren't great that the state has anything concrete soon. Unfortunately for the state, a vote to legalize betting will likely see a similar outcome and it, like DFS, will be tied up for years.

The passing of the bills is certainly a good start in Louisiana and a step in the right direction. Hopes are that a throng of interested lawmakers can somehow convince their voters of the benefit of such a platform. As with anything gambling related in Louisiana – it is “wait and see”.