- If the bill passes, sports betting will be voted on through a parish-by-parish basis.
- Proceeds from Louisiana sports betting will go primarily to the state’s early education fund.
- Sports betting in Louisiana will be limited to the state’s casinos and horse racing tracks.
BATON ROUGE, La. – After a highly contested debate, the Louisiana House Criminal Justice Committee advanced sports betting bill LA SB 146 by an 11-6 vote on Tuesday.
The proposal will still have a few more hurdles to pass before reaching the governor’s desk. Those milestones could include passing a review from the House Budget Committee, and ultimately passing a floor vote from the House.
LA SB 146 originally passed through the Senate by a margin of 24-15.
If passed by the legislature, sports betting will be put on the October ballot this year and will be voted on through a parish-by-parish basis.
Louisiana sports betting would only be allowed inside the state’s casinos and horse racing tracks so it would be up to those parishes to approve if they want the expanded gaming in their area.
Those gaming facilities would have to pay a 13% tax on any legal sports betting revenue they generate. Early childhood development programs would receive 10% of that tax, 2% would go to local parishes, and 1% would be used to fund problem gambling services.
“This doesn’t expand gambling in Louisiana – it’s already here,” said Danny Martiny, Louisana Senator and sponsor of LA SB 146.
“This is an industry that currently operates underground. We have all the ills of (sports) gaming, but none of the benefits, none of the financial benefits.”
Even with this point, his bill had to undergo changes before it could be passed through the House Committee.
The original proposal came in with consideration for those in the video poker industry. This measure would have allowed Louisiana sports betting to be done in bars and truck stop locations across the state.
However, the wording was removed in order to get committee members on board. “I don’t see this bill going through the legislature for 2,800 locations,” said Martiny.
Sports betting in Louisiana will remain restricted to state-authorized gambling establishments. Mobile sports wagering will also be restricted to the gaming floors of those approved locations.
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News tags: LA SB 146 | Louisiana | sports betting
– In his career, Hasan has worked both local and state government positions—including the Attorney General’s Office in Florida. On top of being familiar with the legislative process, he has also been researching and writing on the legality of sports betting across the US. Outside of work you’ll most likely find him producing or playing music, playing sports, or working on creative writing projects. You’ll also catch him at Doak Campbell Stadium cheering on the Noles.
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