The 2019 session of the Louisiana Legislature began on April 8. Senator Danny Martiny (R-Metairie) has pre-filed a bill which would authorize sports betting on a parish-by-parish basis in the same way that daily fantasy sports (DFS) was legalized last year.

Even though the Louisiana Senate Judiciary B Committee was the only place in the Louisiana Legislature where sports wagering received a positive vote in 2018, things may be different this year.

Why? First of all, the US Supreme Court opened the door when it struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May 2018, and now sports wagering is sweeping the country. And Louisiana already has legal casino gaming in the state. In fact, in 2018 Louisiana authorized DFS, and the voters in local referenda approved DFS in 47 of the state’s 64 parishes. So we know the Louisiana population is open to legal sports betting options.

But there is another, perhaps more important reason a sports wagering bill may pass this year. Continue Reading