Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has rejected Senate Bill 181, which aimed to ban sweepstakes casinos in the state.With proposed harsh penalties, fines up to $100,000, and...
New bill targets social casinos in Louisiana
Republican State Senator Adam Bass has introduced Senate Bill 181, aiming to label certain social casino games as illegal gambling.
The bill aims to target not only operators and affiliates but also marketing and location services tied to these games, which are popular across 48 states and often run on a “dual-currency” model. Critics argue they offer a gambling-like experience without regulation or oversight, lacking consumer protections and responsible gaming policies.
However, the Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA) a group representing these businesses strongly opposes the bill. They warn it could wrongly harm legal sweepstakes with illegal gambling, hurting companies that have followed the regulations for years.
Earlier, Lousiana decided not to increase online sports betting taxes from 15% to 51%. Now, lawmakers are weighing whether to legalize online casinos, which could help reclaim revenue lost to unregulated platforms.
The Louisiana Senate approved House Bill 639, raising the tax rate on online sports betting from 15% to 21.5%. The legislation now moves to Governor Jeff Landry for final...
