Louisiana Sports Betting Bill Approved In Senate, Moves To House

• The Senate in Louisiana passed its third reading of LA SB 130 by a vote of 29-8.
• LA SB 130 would allow residents to vote on sports betting legalization on the 2020 November ballot.

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana has been trying to get legal sportsbooks authorized in their state for quite some time. On Wednesday, residents were given another step towards likelihood when Senate Bill 130 underwent its third reading and vote on the Senate floor.

It passed with a vote of 29 YEAS and 8 NAYS.

This final reading greenlights the bill to move forward for introductions and hearings by the House committees for approval on its path to becoming a law.

Lawmakers finally decided the easiest way to legalize sports betting in Louisiana would be would to allow the residents in the state to vote on the issue rather than draw up detailed proposals as they’ve done in the past that ultimately went nowhere.

LA SB 130 Approved In The Senate

Senator Cameron Henry went before the Senate to present LA SB 130 for its third reading, as one of the main sponsors of the bill.

“This is a very simple and straightforward bill, it allows for a referendum which will be held on November 3rd of 2020 to determine whether or not the constituents in your area are in favor of having sports wagering in their parish,” said Henry. “I know that sports wagering is a very sensitive issue for a lot of folks which is why we put it in this format here.”

Senator Kirk Talbot was the only person in attendance with a question for Senator Henry regarding the bill before it was put to a vote.

“So, this is just what we did with fantasy sports two years ago? Nothing to do with the regulations, the details, just ask the public on a parish-by-parish vote, not a statewide all or nothing vote?”

A similar bill was presented on the 2018 ballot where 47 of 64 parishes voted to have Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) become a legal pastime in their hometowns.

“Correct, do you want it or do you not, that’s it very simple,” replied Henry.

Though the measure passed at the end of the hearing, no date has been set for the introduction into the House. The Louisiana State Legislature adjourns on June 1, giving the further movement of Senate Bill 130 a particular urgency.

If Louisiana wishes to get the topic of legal sports betting on the November 2020 ballot for a parish-to-parish vote, they must act swiftly.

News tags: Cameron Henry | Kirk Talbot | LA SB 130 | Louisiana