Sports betting bill in Louisiana close to full rejection

The bill that would legalise sports betting in Louisiana suffered a setback as a panel overwhelmingly rejected it.

US.- Despite multiple efforts to legalise sports betting in Louisiana this year, it seems like the bill that would allow such modality could be dead by the end of this year’s session. A House panel overwhelmingly voted against it.

The House Appropriations committee voted 48-41 against Bill 153 by Sen. Danny Martiny. It would allow the state’s 20 casinos to offer sports betting on professional and collegiate events.

“This is a bill to legalize sports gambling in Louisiana. It had a fair committee hearing, a long committee hearing,” Appropriations Committee Chairman Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, said. “To move it out in the condition it is in now would be unjust to everyone,” he added.

Louisiana has another opportunity to legalise sports betting: lawmakers could amend the wording from the bill onto a companion bill that would set taxes and regulation of sports betting, which was approved last week by the same committee.

The other bill, HB587, includes a 13% tax on net proceeds on sports betting in Louisiana. From the total, the state would use 10% to fund early education programs aimed at children from birth to three-year-olds. Licencing fees would fund the Louisiana State Police for the necessary background checks of the betting operations personnel.

Even if approved by the House, the bill would need to get the OK from different Senate committee hearings before June 6.