Louisiana Sports Betting Launch Could Be Far Off Based On DFS

• Louisiana voted to approve regulated sports betting during the November legislative session.
• It has taken Louisiana over two years to launch daily fantasy sports after voters approved it.
• Sports betting may follow a similar trend and be at least two years out from the official launch.

BATON ROUGE, La. – Daily fantasy sports (DFS) players have gotten one step closer to participating in DFS matches in Louisiana. Potential users are hoping the official launch will occur ahead of the Super Bowl after the official regulations for DFS are set.

While DFS was approved by voters in 2018, fantasy sports have not yet launched, giving an indication of how slow the process is to create the market.

Looking at legal sports betting, the Pelican State may follow a similar trajectory, meaning Louisiana sports bettors may be waiting for a while to get in on the action.

One Small Step

The official regulation for legal daily fantasy sports in Louisiana has been set by the Louisiana Gaming Commission giving hope that DFS will be available in time for the Super Bowl.

The reason it took so long to officially launch is due to legislators being unable to agree upon the conditions of DFS.

Multiple legislative sessions ended without an approved set of regulations which in turn pushed back the launch of DFS constantly.

Unfortunately, what this means is those waiting for the launch of legal sports betting will probably be waiting just as long.

Louisiana voters recently approved legal sports betting on their November 2020 ballots. The 2021 session will be when the sports betting regulations can be set.

Based on the pace at which it took DFS to launch, however, it is unlikely the legal sports betting rules will be set in time for the launch.

Conflict In The Senate

The issue that will arise during the legislative session will likely be if sports betting should be limited to on-location brick and mortar betting, or if online sports betting is allowed.

Many strong opinions exist on both sides, and it is expected to be a major fight when it comes time to determine the regulations in 2021.

“That is going to be a difficult fight,” said John Stefanski, Louisiana State Representative. “The reality is people are doing this now. They are doing it illegally. They are doing it from their phones.”

With sports betting expected to take a while to be approved for launch in the Pelican State, many Louisiana bettors will continue to bet on sports either via international betting sites or by traveling out of state.

This fact has also become a note of contention in the senate for those who want to quickly launch and approve the sports betting regulations.

“There is no need for Louisiana residents to drive to Mississippi to place a legal bet and have those revenues go to Mississippi,” said Cameron Henry, Louisiana State Senator. “Clearly times have changed when it comes to sports wagering. People are going to do this. People are going to bet on sports events. This allows them to do it in Louisiana and we can capture some of that revenue.”

No timetable has been set for the launch of sports betting yet. Louisiana may have approved sports betting, but legislators agreeing to the regulations is an entirely different ordeal.

News tags: Baton Rouge | Daily Fantasy Sports | DFS | Louisiana | New Orleans | sports betting