In less than a week, Louisiana residents are going to decide the fate of a sports wagering proposition. Following the fantasy sports proposition passage in most parishes, a new bill aims to allow all sports betting to be legal in Louisiana. Just as the previous sports fantasy bill, this new proposition will have passed by each parish. This proposition is on the ballot in November where turnout should be high due to the presidential election. The sports wagering bill is good news for sports fans but all voters will decide its fate.
Louisiana Sports Wagering Proposition on November Ballot
Sports Fantasy Bill
The fantasy sports bill was on the ballot in the 2018 November elections in Louisiana. After all the tallying, the bill was passed in 47 of 64 parishes. Louisiana does not have counties like most states, but parishes. A link to this original bill, HB484, can be found here.
After passage, this bill has been tied up in negotiations. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board has control over the tax and regulation for daily fantasy sports, but the negotiations stalled several times after passage. It does appear that this saga is coming to an end soon. This author reached out to Louisiana Representative John Stefanski for comment. According to Stefanski, these contests are “scheduled to go live in November.”
Sports Wagering Bill
Shortly before Louisiana residents can begin to enjoy legal daily fantasy activities, voters will be able to decide the fate of full sports wagering. This new bill, SB130, has much of the same language as the daily sports fantasy bill. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board will be in charge of regulation and taxes for parishes which passes the measure.
According to the Louisiana Wins organization, the state of Louisiana could gain $330 million in revenue with the wide-spread passage of this proposition. This is an estimate based on wagerers currently crossing state lines to place wagers or using offshore companies. When asked for public comment about this proposition, this author was met with a very muted response. In a summary of most of the comments, Facebook user Tim Davidson stated, “They are doing it anyway might as well collect some taxes.” This author wishes to thank Chris Butler for allowing a public forum to gather feedback for this proposition via Facebook group “Ruston Rants.”
Sports Wagering Proposition Summary
Louisiana residents will decide the fate of SB130 on November 3. This proposition is one of many and, with the presidential election, has taken a back seat in most discussions. Voters will need to understand what this proposition does in order for it to pass in most parishes. Sports fans in Louisiana should look forward to voting on this proposition. If the vote passes, sports fans could look forward to companies like Fanduel and Barstool Sportsbook coming into the state. With the majority of parishes already passing the fantasy sports bill, this proposition should gain significant support in this year’s elections.
