Louisiana Close To Legalizing Fantasy Sports Contests

Debates about daily fantasy sports contests in Louisiana’s Senate are in progress, as representatives finally decided to push House Bill 484 that would exclude fantasy sports wagering from the gambling legislation! The new act requires additional mechanisms for supervising DFS contests including the final vote of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board on supplemental regulatory frameworks.

Currently, major industry branches are forbidden in the state, and further advancement of online gambling, lottery and sports wagering depends entirely on the state’s citizens. A scheduled referendum on October 12th, 2018 will see residents casting a final choice on industry expansion, primarily regarding betting at online casinos. Accordingly, the proposed legislation could lift the ban on DFS contests from 1991, when the 1-900 number fantasy football competition was prohibited.

Moreover, the latest legislatory act came soon after House Bill 245 was presented to the Senate, which grants wagering on live horse racing. At this moment, there are four racing facilities in Louisiana that would fall under the decision, including Fair Grounds, Evangeline Downs, Delta Downs and Louisiana Downs.

The final piece of legislation, Senate Bill 322, is aiming at the state’s gambling industry that could declare online betting official but only in districts. According to its author, Senator Daniel Martiny, counties would decide individually whether online gaming is to be permitted or not. In case that Martiny’s proposed legislation makes it to a vote, citizens would decide over important regulatory changes simply by answering with a yes or no in a referendum. Meanwhile, all three bills must through Senate and the House of Representatives to become fully established in the state.