T
he Louisiana Gaming Control Board approved emergency rules that would allow casinos to offer sports betting to their patrons as early as mid-September. They will be effective as of Monday, August 23, and will be in effect for a maximum of 180 days.
The emergency rules approved by the board will give riverboat and land-based casinos and racetracks the ability to take sports bets.
Chairman Ronnie Johns says the goal has been to make sure legal sports wagering in Louisiana was up and running prior to the start of the football season.
“I can tell you as we left the legislative session on June 10th, I don’t think any of us had an inkling that we would be adopting these this quickly,” said Johns.
Johns was named chairman of the Gaming Control Board a month ago, and the number one question he’s been asked is when is legal sports betting coming to Louisiana?
“Just sit back and wait, it’s being worked on and it’s going to be done in a very compliant manner,” said Johns.
Last year, voters in 55 parishes said yes to legalized sports betting in their parish. Sports betting began in Mississippi in August of 2019 and Louisiana casino operators have complained about missing out on revenue. But Johns says sports betting is now a reality in Louisiana.
Johns said: “This is brand new territory for us in Louisiana, we are behind the curve with our neighbors to the east of us in Mississippi, but we are going to try and play catch up very quickly,” reports the Louisiana Radio Network.
The emergency rule goes into effect Monday, which allows casinos to apply for a sports betting license, It will take a few weeks for regulators to approve the application.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international//noticias/2021/08/20/58922-louisianas-regulator-approves-emergency-sports-betting-rules
