Louisiana’s mobile sports betting industry will finally launch this Friday January 28th at 8am.
The launch comes almost three months after retail sportsbooks began accepting the state’s first legal sports wagers in October of 2021.
Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns confirmed the launch date in a statement given to USA Today Network.
“Our goal was to have it available before the Super Bowl, so we were able to beat that target. It will be ready for this weekend’s NFL conference championship games.”
According to the USA Today Network, Caesars Sportsbook and BetMGM have both confirmed they will be ready for the Friday launch. Johns was unable to name which other operators were ready, however, it’s likely that FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetFred will be among the first.
Eric Hession, co-president of Caesars Digital, said in a statement to USA Today:
“Caesars Sportsbook is ready for mobile sports betting’s debut in Louisiana on Friday. This is an opportunity we’ve been working toward for a long time. We have a proud history of operating in Louisiana with our properties Harrah’s New Orleans, Horseshoe Bossier City, and the soon to re-open Horseshoe Lake Charles.
We’re confident that the Caesars Sportsbook app will offer Louisianans the most competitive odds and the very best in rewards, with every wager earning Caesars Rewards. We’ve seen tremendous interest in legal sports betting since the opening of our Caesars Sportsbooks at Harrah’s New Orleans and Horseshoe Bossier City. Come Friday, through the app, we’ll be able to offer even more opportunities to experience the thrill of sports wagering.”
The Gaming Control Board has revealed that more than 67 million wagers were made in the state’s 11 licensed retail sportsbooks during the months of November and December. This generated revenues of around $10.1 million for operators across the two months.
The Control Board has said that it expects the launch of mobile sports betting to increase exponentially once all approved mobile operators are up and running.
It’s believed that a third sports betting option in Louisiana — retail kiosks at bars and restaurants — could be ready as early as March of this year. This particular sector of Louisiana sports betting is under the control of the Louisiana Lottery.
Louisiana Lottery CEO Rose Hudson said that bids from vendors were due by February 15th.
An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.