While all has been quiet on the sports betting front in Louisiana, that may not necessarily mean nothing is happening. Multiple outlets reported in July that the LA betting market launch date could be pushed back due to a lack of a GCB chair.
Put this one in the fake news pile, as those rumours were put to bed by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. The Gaming Division Director from the AG’s office, Christopher Hebert, cleared things up in a conference in Chicago:
“The board’s day-to-day operations have not, and will not, cease. We have operated three times in the past without a chairman. There are things in place … our vice chairman is authorized to memorialize decisions of the board.”
Hebert Hints at Fall Launch
Hebert went on to state that the state’s legislators were working hard to get sports betting live sometime this fall. While this is not major news, we know Louisiana would prefer to launch by the start of football (not happening), it was reassuring to see the Attorney General’s Office go on record with this statement.
We are expecting to see a meeting with Louisiana stakeholders sometime this week which could really get things in motion in Louisiana. The expected process would play out with the passing of rules and regulations followed by an emergency declaration that would allow temporary licenses.
In total, there are 20 licenses that will be awarded to LA casinos, with each casino receiving an additional 2 skins that can be awarded to third-party operators such as FanDuel, DraftKings, and Caesars. Additionally, the state lottery will be allowed to operate kiosks in bars and restaurants in the state.
