state · United States
Online gambling and sports betting in Louisiana
Louisiana permits regulated retail and online sports wagering in opted‑in parishes under LGCB oversight. Real‑money online casino and sweepstakes casinos are not authorised; parish referenda control availability.
- Online sports betting
- Legal
- Online casino
- Not legal
- Retail sports betting
- Legal
- Online live since
- 2022-01
Checked 2026-09-21. Not legal advice.
- Online betting and casino legal 7
- Online sports betting only 27
- No legal online gambling 17
Boundaries: US Census Bureau (public domain), via geoBoundaries
Casino, sports betting, poker and more
Louisiana allows licensed online sports betting in 55 parishes, but not licensed online casino or online poker. Land-based casino poker is allowed in licensed casinos, while online poker remains prohibited.
| Product | Status | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Online sports betting | Legal | — |
| Online casino | Not legal | — |
| Online poker | Prohibited | Real-money online poker is not authorized in Louisiana; the state legalized only online sports betting. |
| Sweepstakes and social casinos | Restricted | Louisiana enacted HB 883 and HB 53 in 2026, effective Aug. 1, 2026; regulators had already sent cease-and-desist letters in 2025. |
| Prediction markets | Restricted | Louisiana Gaming Control Board said sports event contracts are illegal sports betting and require a sports wagering licence (2025); no Louisiana cease-and-desist, suit, or block found, and platforms appear live in-state. |
| Mystery boxes | Unregulated | Set nationally. Unregulated federally; FTC 2025 settlement required loot-box disclosures, but no U.S. law/regulator has classified paid mystery boxes or loot boxes as gambling. |
Key facts
- Online sports betting legal in approved parishes only
- Retail sports betting legal in approved parishes
- Online casino (real‑money) not authorised
- LGCB regulates sports wagering market
- Retail launch October 2021
- Online launch January 28 2022
- Sports betting authorised by parish referendum 2020
- Parish‑by‑parish availability; 55 of 64 parishes opted in
- State bans real‑money online casinos and sweepstakes casinos
- Sweepstakes casino ban effective August 1 2026 (HB 53, HB 883)
Regulator and law
Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB)
Louisiana Sports Wagering Act (citation details unconfirmed)
Advertising unlicensed gambling in Louisiana
Not confirmed. unconfirmed.
Secondary sources state only licensed sports betting may be promoted; specific statutory text or section numbers not confirmed. General US practice treats promotion of illegal gambling as unlawful, but Louisiana‑specific citation is unverified.
National rules also apply — see online gambling regulation in United States.
Checking a licence
The regulator publishes a list of licensed or authorised operators.
Recent developments
- Real‑money online casinos remain illegal; no framework as of 2026
- Ban on sweepstakes casinos effective August 1 2026 under HB 53 and HB 883
- Sports betting market continues under parish‑by‑parish model; 55 parishes active
What we could not confirm
- Exact statutory citation and section numbers for the Louisiana Sports Wagering Act
- Whether LGCB publishes an official, regularly updated online list of licensees; multiple industry trackers list operators but official URL not confirmed
- Precise statutory provisions explicitly banning advertising of offshore/illegal gambling websites
- Whether Louisiana’s 2026 sweepstakes ban applies to all social casinos or only cash-prize sweepstakes models.
- Whether any Louisiana-specific rule separately addresses loot boxes/mystery boxes.
- Current treatment of prediction markets under Louisiana law versus federal commodities law.
Sources
- louisiana.bet/gambling-regulations/
- foley.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Online-Sports-Betting-Tracker-26-6800.pdf
- drf.com/sports-betting/state/louisiana-sports-betting
- casino.band/states/louisiana
- livescore.com/en-us/betting-sites/louisiana/
- foxsports.com/stories/betting/louisiana-sports-betting
- actionnetwork.com/online-sports-betting/louisiana
- cardplayer.com/online-casinos/louisiana-casinos
- beatthefish.com/states/louisiana/
- worldpokerdeals.com/is-online-poker-legal-us
- gamblingsite.com/louisiana/
- pokernews.com/us-poker/la/
- casinos.org/us/louisiana/
- justgamblers.com/louisiana/
- pokerlistings.com/us-poker-rooms/louisiana-online-poker
- usgambling.com/louisiana/
- gamesville.com/sweepstakes-casinos/louisiana
- casino.org/news/louisiana-turns-up-the-heat-on-sweepstakes-casinos/
- rg.org/casinos/sweepstakes-casinos/louisiana
- gamblingnews.com/news/louisiana-pulls-the-trigger-against-sweepstakes-casinos/
- sweepschoice.com/news/louisiana-sweepstakes-ban-day-46-holdouts-named/
- robinhood.com/us/en/prediction-markets/elections/events/louisiana-senate-winner-nov-03-2026/
- robinhood.com/us/en/prediction-markets/elections/events/which-ballot-measures-will-pass-in-louisiana-nov-03-2026/
- betg8.com/articles/is-kalshi-legal-in-louisiana.html
- predictionmarketsindex.com/platforms/forecastex/louisiana/
- robinhood.com/us/en/prediction-markets/elections/events/louisianas-3rd-district-margin-of-victory-nov-03-2026/
Researched 2026-09-21 from public sources and summarised by the Brandfense team. Not legal advice — confirm with the regulator or your counsel before acting.