To this day, Louisiana is still one of the most controversial states in the country regarding the
topic of online gambling. The state has probably recorded the most success in suppressing
collective online and in-state gambling endeavors. Louisiana is, however, not rid of all gambling
activities, as citizens in considerate proportions are recorded on offshore online poker sites.
However, the natives of Louisiana have never had it easy, with several offshore online casino
service providers implementing limitations for all state members.
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Despite the number of proposed legal bills and agitations, the state’s laws have prevailed in
prohibiting all organized online poker in Louisiana. Several bills have been initiated in pursuit of
the legislation of online poker games in Louisiana from 2017 to date. However, Louisiana, home
to over 4.6 million citizens, has maintained its century-long stand on the relegation of any
organized online gambling endeavor. Now and then, there have been talks of implementing
another bill but these have only ended in deliberations for a while.
This detailed review of Louisiana poker online will throw light on the journey of significant
actions that still today affect Louisiana online poker and real money gambling. This piece will
also provide much-needed answers about the current legal circumstances of online poker in
Louisiana. When you are done, you’ll be able to decide for yourself if playing poker in Louisiana
for real money is against the law. But first, let’s look into the history of poker in this state.
History of Online Poker Louisiana
It all started in 1835 when all state casino licenses were revoked and nullified. However, this
didn’t stop many established casinos from making tremendous profits illegally. Following the
official relegation of real money Louisiana casinos, the state itself started running one of the
largest legal lotteries in the United States. The lottery lasted for many years until it met a crisis
in 1892.
Following years of legal and political battles, gambling enthusiasts took advantage of the weak
gambling laws that were poorly enforced to make billions from online poker from 1995 onwards.
The unlawful online casino boom flourished until about 2006. However, amidst all the illegal
activities, Louisiana was one of the few states to forbid real money Louisiana poker back then.
The prohibition of online poker real money Louisiana gambling did not yield results until 2006. In
2006, the state began implementing laws that would later make it very difficult for people to play
poker online for money in Louisiana. The state particularly restricted credit card companies from
receiving any payments related to online gambling. This stopped many residents from playing
real money poker games.
Is Online Poker Legal in Louisiana?
This particular question has never been completely answered to date. The straightforward
answer is that the state has made it illegal for any person or group of persons to organize or
carry out online gambling endeavors as a business or to make profits. The law outrightly
prohibits profit-based gambling endeavors but says less about individual gamblers.
The law is against those who would market online poker in Louisiana to make profits but is
subtly lenient on gambling from ordinary players. However, a few sections of the state laws
prohibit underage individuals from gambling. The law is also categorically against public
gambling, whether as a real money enterprise or individual.
Gambling Laws In Louisiana
To paint a final picture of what gambling r currently looks like in Louisiana, a summary of its
gambling laws proves very effective. The state’s law defines gambling as the “organizing or
abetting organization of any business model where a person wagers to lose anything valuable
to realize a profit from chance”. The gambling definition by the state’s legislation still stands
despite the recent legislation regarding several other gaming activities.
● Gambling by computer/online poker Louisiana
As a result, the enactment of “gambling by computer,” which further restricted real money
online poker, was defined as “intentional conducting, or directly assisting in the conducting as a
business of any game, contest, lottery, or contrivance whereby a person risks the loss of
anything of value to realize a profit when accessing the Internet, World Wide Web, or any part
thereof by way of any computer, computer system, computer network, computer software, or
any server. Gambling via the Internet embodies the very activity the legislature seeks to
prevent.”
The above quotation summarizes the legal sections of the laws surrounding gambling from the
state’s legislature, and all the public needs to know is the restrictions of legal online poker in
Louisiana.
When Will Online Poker Be Legalized in Louisiana?
The question of when online poker will be perfectly legal and operating in the state of Louisiana
has probably been on the minds of most gambling enthusiasts and state revenue spectators.
However, apart from the bills that were pushed in 2018, there has since been no major push or
indication that online poker will soon be legal in the state. However, the possibility of online
poker becoming legal in the future cannot be ruled out, as online gambling could boost the
state’s revenue by a significant amount.
Also, sports betting has become legal in the state over the past few years, which also caused a
certain level of push-back from the law. It would be foolish to rule out full legislation of real
money Louisiana online poker, even in the near future.
Can You Play Online Poker in Louisiana?
The answer is completely relative. The question of how to play online poker in Louisiana is
usually asked by people trying to discover if the act is completely forbidden in the state.
However, a straightforward answer is that you can play online poker from the state, but you
currently cannot play real money online poker in the state.
For clarity, some international casinos offer real money online poker services to the residents of
Louisiana, but you may not be able to carry out organized profitable online poker in Louisiana.
Many international casinos have long decided to make their services unavailable to citizens in
America, specifically in states where anti-gambling laws are very strong. However, not every
reputable casino has followed suit. The anti-gambling law in Louisiana clearly states that
gambling is only illegal when “it is conducted intentionally to offer the people the opportunity to
make a profit from chance by staking something of value.” Thus, any casino that chooses not to
restrict the residents of Louisiana from participating in its enterprise is not breaking any national
law.
Having established the above facts, we have put together some online poker service providers
that accept Louisiana residents as players.
BetOnline Poker
BetOnline Poker casino was pioneered in Costa Rica before expanding its tentacles into the
American market, initially as an online sports book. BetOnline became a player in the American
market in 2016 when it started operating a poker license under Connective Games. BetOnline
Poker welcomes players from most parts of the United States, except Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Nevada, Washington, and Delaware.
As a service provider, BetOnline is legal from Louisiana but not in Louisiana. With all of the legal
restrictions on the freedom of U.S. residents to play poker online for money, it is usually very
uncertain how these players can actively benefit from these services. However, BetOnline
Poker’s services are certainly legal and open to U.S. citizens who want to participate.
BetOnline Poker is licensed in Panama and is among the top three service providers with the
highest traffic in the United States. The casino has been operating its proprietary poker software
since 2016. The online service provider also offers its new and existing users up to a 100%
bonus up to $1000. The online poker site does not accept PayPal as a payment channel but
promotes an ever-growing range of cryptocurrencies as a medium of exchange.
The BetOnline Poker casino does not promote anonymous gambling. In essence, you must be
okay with sharing your name and other details with co-gamblers. This lack of anonymity on the
site is just a standard company policy and is not subject to any binding laws surrounding
gambling in Louisiana.
Sportsbetting.ag Poker
Sportsbetting Poker was officially launched in 2012 as an offshoot of an already existing sports
betting service provider. The poker service provider immediately became relevant in the U.S.
market, particularly because it doesn’t restrict any state from its services. Sportsbetting Poker is
open and legal to players from every state. Hence, residents of Louisiana are not restricted from
playing online poker for real money on the Sportsbetting site, legally or otherwise.
Despite how difficult it is for emerging service providers in the country, the Sportsbetting site still
captured a fair amount of attention and traffic from the U.S. market. Sportsbetting poker is
licensed in Panama, which is probably a factor that has contributed to reducing the American
traffic on this site. It;s not news that licenses in Panama are fairly easy to get, and that has
infused a little skepticism in the minds of some experienced gamblers in the states.
Sportsbetting Poker is built on a proprietary poker network, which is similar to what BetOnline
Poker operates. The service provider offers users up to a 100% sign-up bonus, which takes
effect up to the $1000 mark. Users can stake these match bonuses on real money bets,
although with certain wagering requirements.
Sportsbetting online poker promotes using cryptocurrencies as a channel of exchange and is
very compatible with mobile users. In summary, real-money Louisiana gamblers are welcome at
the Sportsbetting site and can take advantage of its many interesting features. Players can also
access sports betting and casino services aside from online poker Louisiana services when
playing on the site.
Sweepstakes Online Poker in Louisiana
While it may be very difficult to answer whether people can play poker online for money in
Louisiana, it is a simple answer that they can use the social casinos in an unrestricted way.
Social casinos, also called sweepstakes casinos, don’t require anyone to deposit real money to
play online poker. It is very different from real money online poker in Louisiana because you
may not be playing to win real cash prizes but just for fun. Social casinos are common in
Louisiana, and there are currently a lot of players engaging them.
After registering at any sweepstake casino, the service provider credits you with free coins that
do not have any monetary value whatsoever. These coins are used to play on different poker
tables. People usually win by accumulating the most valuable points. Social casinos imitate the
complete real money Louisiana online poker. However, the major difference is that you do not
need any cash deposit to participate in winning some valuable prizes. Most sweepstakes
services are available online via specific websites; all users have to do is create an account with
one and enjoy unmonetized gambling.
Are Social Casinos Legal in Louisiana?
Yes. Sweepstakes casinos are all legal in Louisiana. The legality of sweepstakes is not in doubt
as they are all categorized by the law under social gambling. The state’s law also doesn’t have
any restrictions on social gambling as it is not designed to bet real money on a chance. In
essence, since sweepstakes casinos don’t require any real money for participation, the
Louisiana state laws have no issues with them.
However, the most binding regulation associated with the use of sweepstakes is that you must
be at least 18 years old to participate. Sweepstakes are also entirely legal in other states with
few or no restrictions at all.
Who Regulates Sweepstakes in Louisiana?
According to the 2014 Louisiana law on sweepstakes promotions, social casino endeavors are
duly regulated by the Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General. This is because
social casinos often feature the winners of promotions, which are in no way the proceeds of
gambling and don’t require any stakes. According to the 2014 citation, “The Department of
Justice, Office of the Attorney General, shall regulate sweepstakes promotions provided for in
this Section and the electronic display of sweepstakes winners as provided for in R.S. 51:1727.”
Having stated all relevant facts concerning the operation of sweepstakes online poker in
Louisiana, the following is an online service that operates in the state.
Funzpoints
Funzpoints is one of the most popular sweepstakes casinos currently operating in Louisiana.
The casino is run under the United States sweepstakes laws. Players at the casino just enter
random drawings without making any deposit or purchase. That way, players are automatically
drafted into a raffle without having to stake anything. That is exactly how you win at
sweepstakes casinos without gambling anything, which is profoundly banned by the state’s
laws.
Funzpoints is also open for real money online poker in other states. However, players obviously
cannot play poker online for money Louisiana. The sweepstakes casino offers a $2.50 no
deposit bonus for new and existing customers and a free daily $350 sweepstakes jackpot draw.
Funzpoints is good news for players who have restrained real money Louisiana poker laws.
Nevertheless, you should play at social casinos without overly expecting to win any prizes.
Other sweepstakes casinos available in Louisiana include:
● Pulsz Casino
● Chumba Casino
● LuckyLand Slots Casino
Horse Racing Betting
Horse races, alongside sports betting, are the most legal and profitable gambling activities in
Louisiana. The freedom to bet on horse races has long been established in the state. To this
day, citizens are free to organize and participate in gambling on horse races.
This sport features jockeys riding horses that have been groomed and trained since birth to
compete in the sport. The horses with the most points at the end of the race or tournament are
usually the winners. Horse racing has long been active in Louisiana and dates as far back as
the 1900s. Gamblers bet on horse races by depositing wager amounts with licensed
commissions. These amounts are then wagered on individual games or the collective
tournament.
Winners are also paid returns through these commissions and must pay taxes on them.
Louisiana’s citizens are still organizing and profiting from horse races in the present day.
Is Horse Race Betting Legal in Louisiana?
The law’s exemption on horse racing is due to the “Account Wagering” law, La. R.S. 4:149.5,
which allows players to deposit money with an authorized licensee. The money deposited on
such accounts can be used to bet on horse races, either through phone bookings or computers
online. One may wonder why computer gambling, which is forbidden for online poker in
Louisiana, is perfectly legal and encouraged with horse race betting.
The answer is that horse race betting using “computer gambling” is justified by the legal fiction
that the wagers in horse races are made at a racing facility within the state. In essence, horse
racing isn’t virtual and employs the use of physical facilities within the state, which is counted by
the state’s law as a business model. Summarily, horse race betting has been legal in Louisiana
for a long time and may stay that way for even longer.
Various Attempts to Make Online Poker Legal
Several attempts have been made at initiating and legalizing online poker Louisiana. However,
the first significant attempt was when the state’s legislature considered the online gambling bill
in 2018. Before 2018, Louisiana had been very specific about its anti-gambling laws. The 2018
bill was initiated after several casinos in the state used every means they could to air their
dissatisfaction with the prevalent bans on online poker bets.
These top casinos that were already successful in some other states wanted online poker,
casino games, and daily fantasy sports fully restored. So, three bills were initiated the same
year, one for games, one for online poker Louisiana, and another for daily fantasy sports. The
online gambling bills were also initiated for a “public referendum”. A public referendum meant
that any faction could offer a referendum to any of its voters in an upcoming election.
Consequently, the decision would depend on the public, while regulation would be left to the
Louisiana Gaming Control Board to decide if the referendum had passed. Furthermore, the
sports betting bill went on to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the same year, while the rest
did not pass. The bills faced strong opposition from the Louisiana Gaming Association.
Moreover, most lawmakers were not nearly familiar enough with the concept of internet gaming
to advocate for the bills. Since then, most agitations to legalize online poker Louisiana were
either half-baked or stifled at conception.
FAQs about Louisiana Online Poker
Is online poker legal in Louisiana?
No. The state’s laws are very strict on most casino gambling endeavors.
Can you play online poker in Louisiana?
No. However, some international online poker sites allow citizens to play from the state.
Can I play real money poker at offshore poker service providers?
Yes. Currently, no law forbids Louisiana’s citizens from visiting and even playing poker at most
offshore casinos.
Do all offshore poker sites restrict Louisiana players?
No. Not all offshore poker sites place restrictions on players from Louisiana. In fact, not too
many do.
