Louisiana’s House approves bill to ban sweepstakes gaming
The House of Representatives has approved Bill 181 and now heads to the governor’s office.
US.- The Louisiana House of Representatives has passed Senate Bill 181, a proposal to ban sweepstake gaming in the state. The initiative passed with a 99-0 vote and now heads to governor Jeff Landry.
Senator Adam Bass introduced the bill in early April and it faced little opposition. The Senate approved the bill by a 39-0 vote in April.
The Social and Promotional Games Association expressed disappointment. It said: “Legal sweepstakes platforms operate under well-established guidelines and are used by millions of adults, including Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft and Starbucks, to engage consumers through lawful, free-to-play promotions. This bill carelessly conflates legal entertainment with illegal gambling, without evidence of harm. It also threatens Louisiana’s economy by stifling digital innovation and driving compliant companies out of the state. It’s a step backward for consumer choice, lawful innovation, and common sense.”
Montana has become the first US state to pass legislation to explicitly prohibit online sweepstakes casinos. Senate Bill 555 will enter into effect on October 1, banning websites or apps that “knowingly transmit or receive gambling information” and allow consumers to place a bet or wager and receive payouts using any form of currency, targetting sweepstakes and social casinos’ use of dual currency systems. The Montana House and Senate passed the bill in April.
