Fantasy sports betting in Louisiana could begin this spring

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board adopted the final regulations and licensing application needed for the online cash prize competitions to start later this year, as early as April or May.

Maj. Chuck McNeal, with the Louisiana State Police's Gaming Enforcement Division, told the board that fantasy sports contest operators can start submitting the applications Feb. 19. He said the suitability investigations conducted by the State Police usually take 60 days to 90 days to complete before an entity can appear before the Louisiana Gaming Control Board for a gambling license.

Under that timeline, fantasy sports betting operations could be up and running by the spring, if the gambling board approves their licenses.

In fantasy sports, people create imaginary teams of real-life sports players and score points based on how those players perform in actual games. Websites such as DraftKings and FanDuel charge an entry fee and offer payouts to winners.

Voters in nearly three-quarters of Louisiana’s 64 parishes agreed in the November 2018 election to legalize fantasy sports betting. Lawmakers have since set the tax rates and the regulatory process. All that remains are the licensing decisions for individual operators from the Gaming Control Board.

Participants in the competitions have to be at least 21 years old. The games only will be permitted in parishes where voters authorized it, but anybody will be able to log into the online sites if they travel to those parishes.