Six sportsbooks open Louisiana's online sports betting market

With the launch of online sports betting in Louisiana scheduled for Friday, January 28, six major operators have now confirmed the kickstart of their operations in the state: DraftKings, FanDuel, Penn National's Barstool, Rush Street Interactive's BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook and BetMGM.

Louisiana, we'll see you Friday morning 👀

Download the app now: https://t.co/DXDgh5Bn1a pic.twitter.com/WLgXbde1YP

— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) January 26, 2022

Matt Kalish, co-founder and president of DraftKings North America, reflected on the success of the brand in Louisiana after the opening of their Golden Nugget Casino Lake Charles sportsbook, and said: “The arrival of mobile betting greatly enhances accessibility and adoption potential within the Pelican State.”

Fanduel communicated its online operations will be under Boyd Gaming's Treasure Chest license, available for 55 parishes.

🚨LOUISIANA WE ARE COMING🚨

- download the @BSSportsbook app
- sign up using code BAYOU
- bet $20 on either championship game
- If our boy Joey B throws for 1yd you get $100

Live in Louisiana Friday!!! pic.twitter.com/CxlVcMzqSi

— Barstool Sportsbook (@BSSportsbook) January 27, 2022

Penn National Gaming's President Jay Snowden announced the company will enter the state, thus becoming the 12th in which it operates with its Barstool Sportsbook mobile app. "I’m confident that customers will enjoy engaging with Dave Portnoy, Dan ‘Big Cat’ Katz and other Barstool fan favorites, and we’re offering a number of promotional wagers on the app to help celebrate the launch”, he said.

“I want to thank the LGCB and their staff for their time and effort in reviewing and approving our application. We look forward to adding Louisiana to our portfolio of states where we operate online sports betting as we continue our Company’s evolution into the leading omni-channel provider of retail and online gaming, live racing and sports betting entertainment,” concluded Snowden.

Rush Street Interactive confirmed it will be launching its BetRivers Sportsbook in Louisiana on Friday. According to a press release the company published, its product includes betting content focused in variety and entertainment; live streaming; a wide range of deposit and withdrawal methods; industry conversion of bonuses to cash with 1x playthrough requirement; speedy & automated cash-out approvals, with more than 80% of withdrawal requests instantly approved; pro and college football betting options; responsible gaming tools including deposit, spend and time limits.

The company will also offer a $250 first deposit match bonus to all new customers and a $50 risk-free bet to customers who pre-register ahead of Friday’s launch. 

Richard Schwartz, CEO of RSI,  spoke about the company's insertion into the Louisiana market and said: “We are thrilled to welcome Louisiana and its avid sports fans to the growing RSI and BetRivers communities. At RSI, the player comes first, and we are committed to offering an unparalleled user experience – from our innovative, easy-to-use gaming platform to our relentless focus on responsive customer service. 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. We encourage fans in the Pelican State to join the fun now at BetRivers.”

Following the launch of in-person sports betting at its properties Harrah's New Orleans and Horseshoe Bossier City in October 2021, Caesars Sportsbook app is already live in Louisiana. "Launching our Caesars Sportsbook app on the first day mobile sports wagering goes live in Louisiana is a big moment for our legacy in the state," said Eric Hession, Co-President of Caesars Digital. "Louisiana sports fans have shown us their passion for sports betting every day since the opening of our Caesars Sportsbook locations at Harrah's New Orleans and Horseshoe Bossier City. Our mobile app is ready to bring fans closer to the sports they love while offering the very best in rewards." 

Caesars Sportsbook is an official sports betting partner of the New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Pelicans and LSU Athletics, as well as the exclusive sports betting and odds provider for The Advocate and Times-Picayune, ESPN and CBS Sports. Caesars Sportsbook is currently live in 21 states and jurisdictions—17 of which are mobile—and operates the largest number of retail sportsbooks across the country, including sportsbooks at top Louisiana gaming destinations Harrah's New Orleans and Horseshoe Bossier City.

For its part, BetMGM is offering customers access to a wide variety of betting options as well as experiences at MGM Resorts’ Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Mississippi.

"We’re thrilled that the BetMGM Sportsbook is one of the first mobile sports betting apps to launch in Louisiana, just in time for this weekend’s NFL playoffs,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. “We know that many Louisianians visit our retail sportsbooks in Mississippi, and we’re pleased to provide another betting option that rewards customers with one­-of-a-kind experiences not available on any other platform.”

BetMGM’s integration with MGM Rewards, MGM Resorts' revamped loyalty rewards program launching Feb. 1, 2022, gives Louisiana customers the opportunity to redeem gameplay for world-class accommodations at MGM Resorts properties nationwide. Resorts include Beau Rivage and Gold Strike in Mississippi, Bellagio and MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Borgata in New Jersey, and MGM National Harbor in Maryland.

The news follows the BetMGM Horse Racing app debut in Louisiana in December 2021, providing customers the ability to watch and wager on premier Thoroughbred, Harness and Quarter Horse races at more than 200 tracks around the world.

In addition, Gambling.com was also granted a waiver by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board to provide marketing services to licensed gaming operators in the state. 

Charles Gillespie, CEO of Gambling.com

Charles Gillespie, CEO of Gambling.com Group spoke about the company’s new license and said: “There has already been a tremendous amount of momentum for the online gaming industry in 2022, as Louisiana will join New York in launching mobile sports betting this month. Louisiana has a rich sporting history - both professionally and collegiately - and our dedicated team of journalists, analysts and handicappers will give Louisiana sports fans the best chance to succeed in what will be one of the more exciting sports betting markets in the country”. 

Caroline Smart, Vice President at Gambling.com Group, added: “Louisiana allowing several sportsbooks to take legal sports bets in advance of the NFL conference championship games and the Super Bowl is a win for sports bettors in the state. With an open free-market approach and a reasonable tax rate, sports betting operators will bring the best products and experiences to Louisiana. The group is well positioned through its U.S.-facing brands, including Gambling.com, Bookies.com and Rotowire.com, to provide sports bettors in the state with experts picks, real-time odds comparisons, online sportsbook reviews and the latest news”. 

BetMGM and Caesars had confirmed Wednesday they would start their operations in the state on Friday after Board Chairman Ronnie Johns announced some of the approved operators in Louisiana. WynnBET confirmed it would start a pre-registration process and offered bettors the chance to take advantage of the state-exclusive offer “Bet $10, Win $250”. However, a date for the company to fully launch its operations has not yet been confirmed.