Sports betting has been legal in most of Louisiana since January 2022, but the rules still vary sharply depending on where in the state a bettor is standing. Nine parishes continue to prohibit wagering altogether, even as residents in the rest of the state can choose from nine licensed mobile sportsbook apps or dozens of retail counters at casinos and racetracks.
The legal framework traces back to November 2020, when voters approved sports wagering in 55 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes. The legislature followed with Senate Bill 247, signed into law in June 2021. The first retail sportsbook opened Oct. 7, 2021, and mobile wagering went live statewide on Jan. 28, 2022, after the Louisiana Gaming Control Board licensed the first batch of online operators.
Anyone 21 or older can legally bet on sports in Louisiana, provided they are physically located within one of the 55 parishes where wagering is permitted. Bettors do not need to be Louisiana residents, but their phone or device must register a location inside a legal parish to place a mobile wager.
Where Betting Remains Illegal
Nine parishes have opted out of sports wagering entirely: Caldwell, Catahoula, Franklin, Jackson, La Salle, Sabine, Union, West Carroll and Winn. Anyone in those jurisdictions cannot legally bet on sports, either online or in person.
Retail Locations Across the State
For bettors who prefer placing wagers in person rather than through an app, Louisiana has licensed retail sportsbooks at casinos and racetracks across the state, including:
- Caesars New Orleans (formerly Harrah’s New Orleans) – New Orleans
- Horseshoe Bossier City Hotel & Casino (Caesars Sportsbook) – Bossier City
- Horseshoe Lake Charles (Caesars Sportsbook) – Westlake
- Louisiana Downs Casino & Racetrack (Caesars Sportsbook) – Bossier City
- Paragon Casino Resort (The Draft Room / Betfred) – Marksville
- Coushatta Casino Resort (The Rez Sportsbook) – Kinder
- Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel (FanDuel Sportsbook) – Vinton
- Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino (FanDuel Sportsbook) – Opelousas
- Treasure Chest Casino (FanDuel Sportsbook) – Kenner
- Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino (FanDuel Sportsbook) – Shreveport
- Amelia Belle Casino (FanDuel Sportsbook) – Amelia
- Boomtown Casino Hotel Bossier City (ESPN BET) – Bossier City
- Boomtown Casino & Hotel New Orleans (ESPN BET) – Harvey
- L’Auberge Casino Hotel Baton Rouge (ESPN BET) – Baton Rouge
- L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles (ESPN BET) – Lake Charles
- Margaritaville Resort Casino (ESPN BET) – Bossier City
- Bally’s Shreveport Casino & Hotel – Shreveport
- Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots (TwinSpires Sportsbook) – New Orleans
- Fair Grounds OTB & Casino (TwinSpires) – Metairie
Rules on College Wagering
Bettors can wager on college sports in Louisiana, but the state does not permit betting on individual college player props. With only two major professional franchises based in the state — the New Orleans Saints in the NFL and the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA — LSU draws much of the attention as the state’s most heavily bet-on college program.
Louisiana Gaming Control Board regulations also govern the promotional offers sportsbooks extend to new customers, which typically come as bet-and-get deals, deposit matches or profit boosts. Those bonus funds carry expiration dates, so bettors who sign up should track when their offers lapse.
