Louisiana Expects Football Sport Betting Boost
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Sports betting in Louisiana fell off during June but should go up when football gets underway, the state’s top gaming regulator says.
“We’re a football state,” said Ronnie Johns, a former legislator chairing the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.
With not much to bet on in the summer except baseball, fans and bettors in Louisiana are eager for football season to start, he said.
Johns told Gambling.com football enthusiasm has been building in the state, including the buzz around a couple of new head coaches — Brian Kelly at Louisiana State University and Dennis Allen of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.
Saints, Tigers Kick Off Soon
The Saints open their preseason schedule with an Aug. 13 game at NRG Stadium in Houston against the Texans.
The Saints’ regular season begins Sept. 11 with a road game against NFC South rival Atlanta at the Falcons’ home field, Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Saints are favored by five points at Caesars Sportsbook.
LSU kicks off its season on Sept. 4 against the Florida State Seminoles at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
This essentially will be a home game for the Tigers, whose Baton Rouge campus is only 80 miles west of the Superdome. LSU is favored by three points, at Caesars Sportsbook.
With these games on the horizon, Johns said he expects to see a boost in sports betting soon.
“I am very confident our numbers this coming fall are going to be substantial,” he said.
Sports Betting June Swoon
In June, bettors wagered $132.4 million on sports in Louisiana, down 22.6% from May’s handle of $171.1 million.
Typical of states with on-site casino sportsbooks and mobile wagering, most bets in Louisiana are placed on mobile apps. The state’s June mobile sports betting handle was $113.7 million, down 20.3% from May’s $142.6 million.
In June, the state collected $1.4 million in taxes from sports betting, down 48.1% from May’s tax collection of $2.7 million.
LSU Stars Boost Super Bowl Betting
In Louisiana, in-person betting at commercial casino sportsbooks began in late October 2021. Mobile apps became available this year in January.
The high-water mark for mobile sports betting in Louisiana came during February, when $211 million in bets were place on mobile apps.
In February, the Super Bowl, always a heavily wagered event nationwide, generated additional interest in Louisiana.
Two former LSU stars, quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, played in the Feb. 13 Super Bowl for the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals lost the game to the NFC’s Los Angeles Rams.
Mobile Apps Available
Sports betting is legal throughout Louisiana, except in nine of 64 parishes that voted against it in a November 2020 statewide election.
Betting is legal at casino sportsbooks and on mobile apps in the major population centers of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and Shreveport/Bossier City.
Below are the sports betting mobile apps available in Louisiana:
Barstool Louisiana Sportsbook
BetRivers Louisiana Sportsbook
DraftKings Louisiana Sportsbook
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