Is sports betting legal in Louisiana?

Parish by parish

Louisiana did it its own way. Instead of one statewide yes, the legislature put the question to every parish. Act 215 of 2020 placed a proposition on the ballot in each parish at the election of 3 November 2020: "Shall sports wagering activities and operations be permitted in the parish?" Where the majority said yes, betting was allowed once the state passed its licensing and tax laws. Where it said no, it stayed illegal. The same act handed the Louisiana Gaming Control Board all regulatory authority over sports wagering.

Those laws came in 2021. Act 80 set the fees and taxes and authorized electronic sports wagering, and the platform rules sit in R.S. 27:605. The Governor's office, in its Department of Public Safety report, says retail betting rolled out in the latter part of 2021 and mobile betting came in early February 2022. I'd like to give you the exact days, but the Board's own site wouldn't load for me today, so I'm not going to guess them.

What the app checks

The age is 21. R.S. 14:90.5 makes it a crime for anyone under 21 to place a wager on a sports event, in person or on an app, with a fine of up to $500.

Location is where Louisiana gets particular. Under R.S. 27:605, every betting platform has to check that you are at least 21, physically in Louisiana, and not standing in a parish that voted no at the time you place the bet. Drive across a parish line and the app can lock you out even though you never left the state. I'd check before a road trip, not during the game.

The books themselves sit with the casinos. The Governor's report describes the state police licensing in-person sports wagering at the 20 Louisiana casinos, and each app runs through one of those licensees. The Board's site keeps the current list, though it wouldn't open for me when I checked.

Winnings are fully taxable on your federal return.

Where the offshore books fit

Offshore books take players from Louisiana, but none of them holds a Louisiana license, so the Board can't make one pay you or settle a dispute. A licensed book is one the state can hold to account. Our offshore sportsbooks section explains how those books work, and the VPN question covers why hiding your location goes wrong at payout time.

If betting has stopped being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER, and our responsible gambling page has more.

*Checked against the Louisiana State Legislature on 28 October 2026. Laws change; this page is re-checked every quarter. This is not legal advice.*