Louisiana bill on athlete harassment from bettors advances to governor’s desk
SB 325 would allow the Louisiana gambling regulator to exclude offenders from the betting market, making it the fourth state with such powers.
US.- A bill that aims to tackle athlete harassment from sports bettors in Louisiana will advance to Governor Jeff Landry’s desk. SB 325, which was introduced by Sen. Mike Reese, has been passed unanimously by both the state house and senate, setting the stage for Louisiana to become the fourth US state with bettor exclusion as a sanction for athlete harassment.
Expected to come into force on August 1, the legislation targets sports bettors who harass athletes, coaches, referees and others involved in the sporting event. This is defined as threats of “violence or harm” before, during, or after a sporting event, in which where the threat is related to sports gaming.
The Louisiana Gaming Control Board would have the power to place offenders on its gambling exclusion list, barring them from gambling in the state.
If Landry signs the legislation, Louisiana will join Wyoming, Ohio, and West Virginia, the three states where gambling regulators currently have the power to prohibit customers from betting for similar actions. West Virginia’s measure came into force in June 2024 and Wyoming’s in December 2024.
Lawmakers in New York are considering a similar move. AB 7903, which has passed the committee stage to the assembly floor, would more generally allow the prohibition of bettors who are convicted of crimes where the complainant is an athlete, coach, official or other sports contest participant.
Regulated retail betting launched in Louisiana in October 2021, followed by mobile and online wagering in January 2022. Last week, Landry signed HB 53, a piece of legislation that expands Louisiana’s racketeering law to include public gambling and computer-assisted betting as well as betting on cockfighting, operating electronic sweepstakes devices, unlawful wagering by prohibited players and bribery involving sports participants.
