Gambling in the south-eastern state of Louisiana is a simple enough world to understand: land-based gambling for those aged 21 and over is perfectly legal, while USA online gambling is expressly illegal. Things seem to be slowly shifting, though, so it’s good to keep an eye out on what will happen next.
Our Online Gambling in Louisiana Reviews
Named after King Louis XIV of France, Louisiana is a southeastern state that is renowned for being the home of the Jazz Capital of the World, New Orleans. In the past, it was also famous for the many pelicans that inhabited its Gulf coast, hence why its nickname is the Pelican State. When it comes to land-based gambling, Louisiana is a relatively liberal state: it has 24 casinos (including riverboat and tribal casinos), as well as 25 video poker machines scattered at entertainment venues around its perimeter. The Pelican State has also legalized horse racing, off-track horse racing, the state lottery, Daily Fantasy Sports, and charitable gambling. Even so, it is also one of the very few US states to expressly ban the practice of gambling online in its law, meaning that no online casinos can operate from within the state and that citizens and visitors cannot take part in any form of online casino gambling at Louisiana or offshore-based internet casinos.
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The Legality Of Land-Based Casinos & Online Gambling In Louisiana
Gambling in Louisiana is not a straight-forward affair, but citizens and visitors to the Pelican State will be happy to know that there are many options for them to choose from…just not online gambling. When it comes to land-based gambling in Louisiana, the state is home to horse racing, off-track betting, a state lottery, charitable gambling, and 24 full-fledged casinos that have all your favorite casino games, including roulette, poker, baccarat, blackjack, slots, craps and much more. These casinos are mostly riverboat ones or else located on tribal land – the rights for which were established in 1988 by the Indian Regulatory Act. The only casino which doesn’t fall under these umbrellas is the Harrah’s New Orleans Hotel and Casino, which is allowed by the state to operate on land that doesn’t belong to tribes. The state also has 25 video poker machines located in taverns, bars, restaurants and truck stops all across its area.
All this makes Louisiana one of the most ‘liberal’ states in the south, at least when it comes to gambling. Indeed, this continues on the long history of gambling the state has, which started well before it joined the union in 1803. Back then, Louisiana had a huge gambling industry that dwarfed that of many other states, including those of New York casinos and Boston. While, since then, the laws of the state have changed many times – casinos were, at times, completely banned – many continued to operate regardless. The first permanent change in the law of Louisiana happened in the 1920s, when pari-mutuel and horse racing were made legal. The next was in 1990, when the state lottery was introduced via a referendum. By 1991, the state allowed for 15 riverboat casinos to operate and the rest, as they say, is history.
Even though all this may sound great to those looking to gamble in Louisiana, online gambling in the state is a completely different matter: indeed, the Pelican State is one of the very few in the USA whose law expressly bans playing at online casinos. Nevertheless, Louisiana passed a Bill to allow gamblers in the state to take part in Daily Fantasy Sport online last year (2019) – a law which should be enacted by the time the next football season kicks off this year (2020). Meanwhile, this year (2020), the Louisiana House of Representatives voted 71-24 to legalize sports betting in a number of Louisiana parishes, though it will take a while longer before that can be done legally and securely by citizens and visitors. Even so, while the state seems to be moving in the right direction, those looking to play legally at Louisiana online casino will have to wait a while longer to find out if things will indeed continue to progress far enough for them to play their favorite casino games online.
Land-Based Gambling In Louisiana Today
The top five land-based, brick-and-mortar casinos you need to know about.
| Casino | County | Other Information |
| Harrah’s New Orleans Hotel and Casino | New Orleans | This casino has 1,500 slot machines, video poker, loads of table games and some incredible promotions. As a rule, Harrah’s New Orleans is a smoke-free casino, but there are three smoking and gaming courtyards where players can play over 125 slot machines. |
| Margaritaville Resort Casino | Bossier City | Voted the luckiest casino in Louisiana, the Margaritaville is a 30,000 square foot property that has 1,200 of the hottest slot titles, as well as 50 table games, including roulette, blackjack and craps. |
| Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino | Lake Charles | This Vegas-style casino is home to 1,650 slots, 84 table games and seven live-action poker tables. The casino has won quite a few accolades, too, including the 2018 Strictly Slots Best of Slots award and the 2019 Casino Player Best of Gaming award. |
| Coushatta Casino | Kinder | As Louisiana’s largest casino resort, the tribal-run Coushatta Casino has the widest selection of slots anywhere in the Pelican State, as well as more than 65 table games including roulette, blackjack, craps, dice, Pai Gow, mini-baccarat, Let It Ride and three-card poker. The casino also offers off-track betting, live bingo and some great promotions. |
| Horseshoe Bossier City Hotel and Casino | Bossier City | This luxury property has an amazing selection of casino games to tickle anyone’s fancy. It is home to 1,500 slots machines (including 370 multi-denominational ones), as well as to 68 table games, such as blackjack, roulette, four-card poker, three-card poker, Let It Ride, High Card Flush, and Mississippi Stud. The Horseshoe also has an Asian room, where gamblers can try their luck and skills at mini-baccarat and Dragon Bonus Baccarat. |
Online Gambling Laws In Louisiana
While land-based gambling in Louisiana is booming, online gambling is a completely different kettle of fish. Indeed, it is strictly illegal to play online in the Pelican State and the penalty for being caught doing so is no walk in the park. As things stand at the time of writing, the only types of internet-based gambling Louisianians can dabble in are Daily Fantasy Sport and off-track horse racing. Anything else, including playing online at both Louisiana online casinos and at off-shore registered ones is illegal, meaning that citizens of and visitors to the Pelican State cannot play poker, online roulette, baccarat, online blackjack, online craps, and so on online.
The state also leaves no room for interpretation in its explanation of what gambling online can mean. In §90.3 of the Louisiana State Law, it explicitly stated that: “Gambling by computer is the 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 in order 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.”
The penalty for being caught playing online is also quite harsh. If caught, you can get fined up to $500, imprisoned for up to six months, or both. But, if you are convicted three times or more of this crime, you will be branded a felon by the state. Having said that, the state seems to be on the right path to changing its stance on gambling, and, as recently as 2018, a Bill was introduced to legalize online casinos and playing casino games online in the state. In the meantime, social gambling is allowed and won’t get you in any form of trouble – just remember that you cannot play for any real money. But, as for playing at Louisiana online casino at the time being, our advice is not to play online, and that includes at any off-shore registered casinos – even those that seemingly accept players from Louisiana. This is explored further below.
What should I know about Online Casinos in Louisiana?
- Louisiana is one of the very few US states to expressly ban online gambling in its laws.
- While online casino gambling is illegal, land-based gambling is alive and well, and Louisiana has 24 casinos, riverboat casinos, and tribal-run casinos within its perimeter.
- The legal age for any kind of gambling in Louisiana – including playing in the state lottery – is 21.
- As of this year, Louisianians can legally take part in Daily Fantasy Sport and they should soon be able to practice sports betting, too.
- Bills to legalize online casinos in the state of Louisiana were submitted as recently as in 2018 but, so far, this remains illegal.
Gambling Laws Governing Offshore Casinos & What It Means For Louisiana Players
As we’ve explored above, the gambling laws in Louisiana explicitly prohibit citizens and visitors from playing any casino games online. Of course, just because it is illegal, doesn’t mean that people don’t want to do it, but that often leads to another problem: the use of offshore casinos. Offshore casinos are online casinos that are registered in a different jurisdiction to the one you are in. This is usually done either for tax purposes or because the law of a certain state or country regulates them. These can indeed be based in the USA itself, or even in other jurisdictions, such as Malta, Gibraltar or Curaçao. When looking for advice on whether you can play online from the state of Louisiana, you are likely to come across sites that tell you that you can do so at these off-shore-registered casinos – some go as far as saying that it is perfectly safe and legal. This isn’t the case, however, as the state of Louisiana makes it very clear that any form of online gambling – bar Daily Fantasy Sport and off-track horse racing – is illegal. Moreover, playing at offshore-registered casinos can come with many other complications. For a start, it may be particularly difficult to find a site that accepts players from Louisiana, as many prefer to remain well within the law. Secondly, even if you do find one that accepts you, depositing and withdrawing any money may not be as straight-forward as you might think. Thirdly, the laws of other jurisdictions may not be what you are used to, leading you, your money, your data and your rights to not be safe. Indeed, should there be any disputes between yourself and the offshore online casino, then the state may not be able to help you at all – and that’s on top of ending up in trouble with the law in Louisiana in the first place. For these reasons – but primarily because it is illegal in the Pelican State – we do not recommend that you play at offshore casinos while in Louisiana, or indeed in any other state.
Online Casino Games For Louisiana
Louisiana is one of the very few states whose laws expressly ban citizens of, and visitors to, the state from playing for real money at online casinos. This means that all casino games are banned, including roulette, poker, video poker, baccarat, blackjack, craps and live versions thereof. As of this year, however, players in Louisiana can play Daily Fantasy Sport online. For those who are not familiar with Daily Fantasy Sports, this game, like other fantasy sport, sees players use logic to assemble imaginary teams of athletes pertaining to different sporting teams. For those who have a gambling itch to scratch, the Pelican State does have 24 different casinos across its area, as well as 25 video poker slots located at bars, taverns, restaurants, and truck stops.
Payment Options At Louisiana Online Casinos
Because the law of Louisiana states that people cannot risk ‘the loss of anything of value in order to realize a profit,’ then it is safe to say that Louisianians cannot use any method of payment or currency when gambling online. Nevertheless, if you are out of the Pelican State and in a jurisdiction where online casinos are legal, then we recommend reading the Terms and Conditions of the website of the online casino of your choice to make sure that the payment methods and currencies accepted fit your needs and wishes.
Gambling in Louisiana FAQs
Is online gambling legal in Louisiana?
No, it’s not. In fact, Louisiana is one of a very small number of US states to have expressly banned such practices in its laws. This means that both citizens of, and visitors to, the state cannot play games of chance or skill, be it roulette, poker, baccarat, blackjack, craps or live versions thereof, among others. Those caught doing so can face a fine of up to $500, not more than six months in prison, or both – while those caught doing it three times of more could be branded as ‘felons’. The only online forms of gambling that are legal in the Pelican State are Daily Fantasy Sport and off-track horse racing.
Can I play at an online casino in Louisiana via mobile or tablet?
Because the law of Louisiana states that the risk of losing money is not allowed through ‘any computer, computer system, computer network, computer software, or any server’ (§90.3 of Louisiana State Law), then the law can easily be extended to mean any mobile casino gaming, whether it be on a phone or a tablet. Therefore, the answer to this question is no.
What casino games can I play at Louisiana online casinos?
None since gambling any money or anything of value online is illegal in the state of Louisiana. The only games Louisianians can play online legally at the time of writing are Daily Fantasy Sport and off-track horse racing. Social casinos also allow Louisiana players with a variety of games.
Is it possible to play online casino games with dollars?
No, due to Louisiana online casinos being illegal in the state – as well as the practice of playing online at any casino, including those registered in offshore jurisdictions – then you should not play online using any currency. If, however, you are in a place whose law allows playing at online casinos for real money, then we suggest reading the Terms and Conditions of the website of your online casino of choice to make sure that the payment methods and currencies accepted suit your needs and wishes.
Are the Louisiana online casinos on this site regulated?
All online casinos mentioned on this site are regulated, safe to use, and have all the measures in place to protect you, your rights, your money, and your data. Nevertheless, since it is illegal to gamble online in the state of Louisiana, then we do not mention any particular online casinos on this page.
Am I eligible to receive an online casino bonus at an Louisiana Casino?
Not really. Since gambling online in Louisiana is completely banned, then there are no bonuses to be redeemed. In fact, it’s important to keep in mind that those caught breaking this law can be fined up to $500, get up to six months in prison, or both.
How do I start playing for real money at an Louisiana online casino?
There’s no way to legally do so, though social gambling is completely acceptable. If you want to gamble socially in Louisiana (i.e. play casino games for no money), then you can access a number of sites that allow you to play online slots and many other casino games for free. Just remember not to wager any money as you’d be breaking the law then.
Which online casino payment options are popular in Louisiana?
We have no data on whether Louisianians prefer to use debit or credit cards, eWallets, or direct bank transfers in the Pelican State. This is because online gambling in Louisiana is illegal.
Do I need to pay taxes on my gambling winnings in Louisiana?
Yes, you do. If you are a Louisiana resident, then gambling winnings are taxed at the same rate your Louisiana income would. For those gambling while visiting the Pelican State, things work a little differently. The winnings may still considered to be Louisiana income (or, rather, ‘income from Louisiana sources’, as the Louisiana Department of Revenue refers to it). This means that you may be required to file a federal individual tax return known as a Form IT-540B, Nonresident and Part-year Resident Return to report your winnings. If you overpay, the difference will be refunded. To find out if you do need to fill such a form then we recommend you speak to a representative of the land-based casino where you played and won.
Play At A Real Money Casino Louisiana & Walk Away With A Large Sum!
So, there you have it! That’s pretty much all you need to know about gambling in Louisiana. As always, when gambling, we urge you to stay well within the legal parameters of the jurisdiction you are in, to play responsibly and to never wager more money than you can afford to lose.
