Louisiana Sports Betting: Best Legal Sportsbooks

Is sports betting legal in Louisiana?

Yes, in most of the state. Louisiana took an unusual parish-by-parish route: in November 2020 voters in each of the state's 64 parishes decided individually whether to allow sports wagering, and 55 said yes. Lawmakers then passed the rules and tax framework in 2021. Retail sportsbooks opened at casinos in late 2021, and mobile betting launched on 28 January 2022, in time for the NFL playoffs.

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board regulates the market, with the Gaming Enforcement Division of the State Police handling enforcement. The minimum age is 21.

Louisiana sports betting sites and the parish map

All three of the US sportsbooks we review, BetMGM, bet365 and BetRivers, are licensed in Louisiana. Each online operator is tied to one of the state's riverboat or land-based casinos or racetracks.

The local-option vote matters every time you open an app. Mobile wagers are only accepted in the parishes that approved sports betting, so geolocation checks your parish, not just your state. Nine mostly rural parishes in the north of the state voted no, and you cannot place a bet while physically in them even though you are inside Louisiana. If you travel between parishes, expect occasional location prompts.

College betting and recent rule changes

Louisiana permits wagering on college games, including LSU and Tulane, but player prop markets on college athletes have been removed under regulator direction. The state also raised the tax rate on online sportsbook revenue in 2025, with part of the increase earmarked for college athletics programmes. Changes like this can influence the size of promotions operators offer in the state.

Winnings are taxable income at state and federal level.

Retail sportsbooks sit inside casinos in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Shreveport-Bossier City and other gaming hubs, and some racetracks also take bets. Shreveport and Lake Charles in particular draw visitors from Texas, where sports betting remains illegal, which makes them busy on big NFL and college weekends.

Saints, Tigers and responsible gambling

New Orleans has hosted more Super Bowls than almost any other city, and the Saints, Pelicans and LSU Tigers keep betting interest high all year. Bourbon Street and the Caesars Superdome make the city a natural home for big-event wagering, and the Sugar Bowl adds a marquee college football date every winter.

The Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling operates a 24-hour helpline at 1-877-770-STOP, and every licensed sportsbook must offer self-exclusion and deposit limits.