Louisiana: sports betting to appear on November ballot

Parishes that vote in favour will still have to wait over a year to see legal sports betting, since additional bills will be required.

US.- Voters in Louisiana will have their say on sports betting on the November 3 ballot in the state, with early voting having already begun.

Voters are asked whether they want to see sports betting legalised in their parishes. Sports wagering will be permitted in any parish in which it is favoured by the majority.

It has been suggested that around 47 out of Louisiana’s 64 parishes could vote in favour of the move, given that the same number of parishes agreed to legalise fantasy sports competitions for online cash prizes two years ago.

But parishes that vote in favour will still have to wait over a year to see legal sports betting, given the need for additional legislation for licencing, regulation and taxation.

As stated by Sen. Cameron Henry R-Metairie, the making and passing of bills to enable legal sports betting is “obviously the more complicated part.”

Many attempts were made in 2019 to legalise sports betting in the state but they were bogged down by combative amendments.