2021 was supposed to be a big year for sports betting in the state of Louisiana, but it hasn’t worked out that way up to this point. Louisiana was expected to launch both retail and online sports betting, but the launch date has continued to get pushed back.
There is still plenty of optimism that legal sports betting will be launching this year, and it appears as if
the state is finally starting to gain some traction. Online sportsbooks have already missed out on five weeks of NFL betting, with another weekend underway.
When sports betting is officially offered in Louisiana, it won’t be a state-wide operation. Not all of the parishes in the state agreed to legalize sports betting, creating a unique situation for sports bettors.
Louisiana has the same rules in place for daily fantasy sports, and that industry has finally launched. It took the state a few years to finalize DFS rules and regulations after voters approved legalizing the industry in 2018.
This state has the potential to become a large sports betting market as there will be plenty of sports betting licenses available. Having some professional teams in the state will also help drive the industry, and Louisiana has approved betting on college sports as well.
Hurricane Ida Delayed the Process
Hurricane Ida had a major impact on both professional and collegiate sports in the state of Louisiana, and it also affected the launch of sports betting. The original launch date of sports betting was at the beginning of September, but this coincided with the major impact of this storm.
The hurricane had a major impact on a large portion of the state, and launching sports betting just wasn’t a major focus at the time. Things have started to settle back down in the state, which is why there is another big push underway.
Betfred Takes the Lead
Even though the big launch of sports betting has been delayed a bit, there is actually retail betting currently being offered in the state. The Betfred Sportsbook is up and running at this time, and that company now has a clear lead on the rest of the field.
The Betfred Sportsbook is located at the Paragon Casino, and this could continue to be one of the top retail sports betting locations in the state. Online sports betting is expected to carry the industry, but there will be a handful of retail sports betting options.
Big Names are Coming
A complete list of potential online sportsbooks is not available at this time, but there have been a number of operators commit to operating in the state. As expected, some of the biggest names in the US sports betting industry have applied for a license and are ready to get things up and running.
Caesars recently announced a deal with the New Orleans Saints that will give the company naming rights to the Superdome. This company is going to have some competition, though, as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and WynnBET have all confirmed that they are entering the market.
