While it may not be the type of license sports bettors were hoping for, the DraftKings DFS license is big news in Louisiana. Even if legalizing sports betting takes into 2022, sports fans will be able to enter real money fantasy contests on the DraftKings app.
“The Bayou will now have access to our world-leading Daily Fantasy Sports product as we ramp up toward the kickoff of football season.” – Matt Kalish, DraftKings President
It has become a trend for both FanDuel and DraftKings, the apps pause operations in states looking to pass sports betting legislation that includes DFS regulations. However, that was not the case in Louisiana as DFS was never considered legal in The Bayou State.
Both FanDuel an DraftKings played major roles in a 2018 campaign to legalize DFS in Louisiana. Finally, in 2020, the state passed a tax bill that would apply to DFS, license applications began early 2021, and DraftKings was awarded the first license in late-July of 2021.
Will FanDuel be Licensed in Louisiana?
Given the two companies are seemingly attached at the hip, the immediate question here is ‘what about FanDuel’? For those wondering, yes FanDuel is also going through the licensing process and is expected to be live in time for the start of the 2021 NFL season on September 9th.
While Louisiana fantasy players may have been left out of the 2015 commercial blitz the two fantasy leaders put on, they can expect to be the focus of attention come September. This should mean aggressive bonus offers, and likely single-game contests created to specifically target Louisiana customers.
Can Louisiana Players Enter Contests on DraftKings?
Yes. Effective immediately, DraftKings will accept deposits from Louisiana players. This means fantasy players across the state get access to not only the NFL contests available this fall, but also college football. This is huge news in Louisiana as the New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers are both wildly popular.
College football contests operate exactly like daily NFL contests on DraftKings. Players are able to select players from a slate, typically Saturday early games, Saturday afternoon games, and Saturday night games. There are also slates for Thursday night games as well as west coast games that typically have a 10 PM start time.
It is important to note that the DraftKings DFS license is completely separate from their sportsbook license. The process for vetting sportsbooks in the state of Louisiana is yet to begin. Follow our timeline for the latest updates regarding online sports betting in LA.
