Mobile Sportsbooks Set to Launch Friday Morning in Louisiana

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Mobile Sportsbooks Set to Launch Friday Morning in Louisiana
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FanDuel and BetRivers Sportsbook have announced they are among online bookmakers whose mobile apps will be available when Louisiana online sports betting kicks off Friday at 8 a.m. CT.

Others set to go live Friday morning include BetMGM Sportsbook Louisiana, DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook Louisiana, Barstool and BetFred.

As of Friday, Louisiana will be the only state along the Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida, to offer legal mobile sports betting.

Sports betting occurs at sportsbooks inside casinos in Mississippi, but off-site mobile wagering is illegal. Two MGM Resorts properties in Mississippi offer on-site BetMGM mobile wagering, requiring bettors to be somewhere on the resort’s property.

BetRivers Thrilled About Upcoming Sports Schedule

Richard Schwartz, chief executive officer of Rush Street Interactive, said the company is “thrilled” to offer its BetRivers Sportsbook to Louisiana bettors.

Mobile wagering is going live in Louisiana in time for major upcoming wagering opportunities, including NFL playoff games this weekend, the Winter Olympics during early February and the Super Bowl on Feb. 13.

College basketball also is in the midst of conference play, as teams vie for a spot in the NCAA men’s and women’s March Madness tournaments. The men’s Final Four will be played in early April at New Orleans' Caesars Superdome.

This championship matchup in New Orleans is expected to generate local enthusiasm among bettors, even if no local teams advance that far, because March Madness betting is extremely popular.

“Sports betting is coming to Louisiana just in time for the NFL Conference Championships and Super Bowl, as well as in the heat of the college basketball season,” Schwartz said in a statement on Thursday. “We encourage fans in the Pelican State to join the fun now at BetRivers.”

FanDuel Joins with Partners on Retail Sportsbooks, Mobile App

FanDuel Sportsbook Louisiana is partnering with the Treasure Chest riverboat casino in Kenner in making its computer and smartphone platforms available to bettors in Louisiana, the company announced Thursday. Kenner is northwest of downtown New Orleans, on Lake Pontchartrain’s south shore.

Online bookmakers are required to partner with a state-licensed Louisiana casino in making their mobile platforms available to bettors. There are a number of other bookmakers set to follow for example, WynnBet Louisiana will soon be available. However, mobile wagering can occur anywhere within the 55 of 64 parishes that voted in favor of sports betting in a November 2020 statewide election.

Geofencing will restrict mobile betting to the parishes where it is legal. Sports betting is permitted in the parishes that are home to the state’s major gaming hubs, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and Shreveport-Bossier City.

FanDuel already has a presence in Louisiana at retail sportsbooks inside Boyd Gaming casinos, offering in-person wagering at ticket windows. These Boyd properties include two horse tracks — Delta Downs in Vinton and Evangeline Downs in Opelousas — and three riverboat casinos, the Treasure Chest in Kenner, Sam’s Town in Shreveport and the Amelia Belle near Morgan City.

Sports betting at ticket windows inside casinos began Oct. 31 in Louisiana.

Some Casinos Opt to Use Only One Skin

Each of Louisiana’s 20 licensed casinos has been granted two “skins,” the industry term for mobile betting platforms, in partnering with online bookmakers. The Louisiana Lottery Corp. also has been allotted a skin, bringing the potential total in the state to 41.

Ronnie Johns, chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, told Gambling.com some licensed casino operators are only going to use one of their two skins.