Louisiana Online Sportsbooks are Coming
Sports betting is live in the state of Louisiana, but bettors are now just waiting on online sportsbooks to go live in the state. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board is working hard behind the scenes to get things in place for a launch, but no official launch date has been set at this time. The fans in Louisiana are ready for the various Louisiana sports betting apps.
This group has come under fire in the past, especially as it pertains to daily fantasy sports sites. Bettors in the state are putting pressure on the Louisiana Gaming Control Board to get things up and running, especially now that the NFL Playoffs have started.
The Louisiana State Police is also playing a vital role in this process as it is checking with potential operators to ensure that everything is running smoothly. Checking into the background of each operator is one role of the police, but it is also looking into the technology side of things.
Ronnie Johns is the chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Commission, and he is on record as saying the goal is to go live by the Super Bowl. Super Bowl LVI is set to take place on February 13, and that would cost bettors another month of being without an online sports betting option.
Sportsbook operators in Louisiana have already started to advertise in the state, and most are simply waiting for the official green light before they can launch.
One of the most significant delays in launching online sports betting in Louisiana is ensuring that bets are placed in the correct locations. Louisiana is not a state that will allow bets to be placed from anywhere, and this has made geofencing challenging to figure out.
When Louisiana looked to legalize sports betting, the decision was left up to each parish in the state. Nearly all parishes voted to approve sports betting, but some locations did not.
Sportsbook apps can be accessed anywhere in Louisiana, but bets can only be placed from specific locations. Most of the top locations in Louisiana will have mobile sports betting available, and bettors will be able to move around to get into a location where the apps work.
The DFS options in Louisiana have to follow the same guidelines as not all parishes approved that form of betting either. This isn’t an issue that should cause many problems down the road, but it has to be ironed out before things can go live.
Retail sports betting is currently available in Louisiana, which has at least given bettors an option. There were eight retail sportsbooks live during the month of November, and the Louisiana Gaming Control Board released the first totals near the end of the year.
In November, the total sports betting handle for the state was $27.6 million, which got the state off to a pretty good start. Retail betting is not expected to bring in much action once the online or mobile sportsbooks go live.
Not only did these retail sportsbooks see plenty of action during December, but they also made a solid profit. The total net win for November was $5.7 million, which amounted to a hold percentage of over 20 percent.
Sports bettors in Louisiana wasted little time seeking out parlay betting options as that type of wager accounted for $3.7 million. If online sports betting continues to be delayed, retail sportsbooks will see plenty of action throughout the rest of the NFL Postseason.
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Source: igaming
