Louisiana Takes Another Run at Sweepstakes Casino Ban

Louisiana governor Jeff Landry believes the Pelican State’s existing laws are sufficient for policing sweepstakes casinos. His political party still wants a full sweepstakes casino ban, and it’s come up with a new strategy to achieve it.

Louisiana Rep. Bryan Fontenot (R-Thibodaux) has introduced House Bill 53, which takes a different tactic toward attacking sweepstakes casinos. Instead of an outright ban, Fontenot’s bill would add gambling charges to the state’s racketeering laws, resulting in stiffer penalties for sweepstakes casino operators.

This serves as an open attempt to get around Landry calling the previous bill “not necessary”. In 2025, Louisiana legislators passed Senate Bill 181, which would have enacted a full ban on sweepstakes casinos in the state. However, Landry vetoed the bill, saying that the state gaming board already had the power to shut down illegal gambling operations. Following Landry’s veto, the state gaming board sent out roughly 40 cease and desist orders to sweeps casinos in the state.

Sweepstakes Casinos Mostly Leave Louisiana

A few sweepstakes casinos do still operate in the state, and players play at their own risk. Per the interpretation of Louisiana attorney general Liz Murrill, sweepstakes coin redemption, a standard feature of social casinos, makes social casinos gambling websites and makes them subject to the rules of Title 27.

Sweepstakes casinos attempted to defend their practices by saying that players could always write to the operator to request free sweepstakes coins. But Murrill rejected that argument on the grounds that the majority of players get their sweepstakes coins as a bonus by purchasing gold coin packages. Because real money is spent, Louisiana classifies this as gambling.

Since Landry’s veto, Murrill’s interpretation of the law has led her office to aggressively pursue sweepstakes casino operators. In June 2025, she stated that her office would have had an easier time enforcing the law if Landry had signed SB 181, but it could do its job effectively without it.

That has proven accurate from the departure of the biggest names from the Louisiana market. McLuck and CrownCoins Casino have both pulled out of the state, and explicitly say they are not accepting new players from Louisiana. But others, such as SpinQuest and LoneStar Casino, remain operational in the Pelican State.

What Would House Bill 53 Accomplish?

If House Bill 53 passes, sweepstakes casinos would likely leave the state entirely. That’s because Louisiana’s racketeering laws offer stiff penalties for a violation. Violators can be charged with a minimum five-year prison sentence up to 50 years, and fines of up to $1 million.

This far exceeds the state’s existing penalties for offering illegal gambling. Existing penalties sit at $20,000 and up to five years in prison, which are low enough that some sweepstakes casinos have decided the risk is worth it. It’s unclear if Landry would sign this legislation or issue another veto. The legislature seems reluctant to override him, as SB 181 failed despite passing both chambers without opposition.

If players have their accounts shut down because a sweepstakes casino leaves Louisiana, they would forfeit any unused sweepstakes coins or gold coins.

What Gambling Options Exist In Louisiana?

Louisiana has eight licensed mobile sportsbooks, and wagers can be placed in 55 of the state’s 64 parishes. Additionally, the state is home to 43 legal brick-and-mortar casinos and four tribal casinos.

The state has no legal online casino gaming, and no pathway to legalization on the horizon. With the state aggressively standing against sweepstakes casinos, Louisiana players might have to opt for in-person real-money wagering to play slots.