• Year Louisiana Regulated Gambling: Lottery (1868-1893, 1990-present), Racing (1852-1868, 1971-present), Bingo (1987), Casinos (1991), Truck Stop/Tavern Video Poker (1991)
• Estimated Tax Revenue from Gambling: $670 million
• Estimated Gambling Revenue: $2.9 billion
• Louisiana Gambling Age: 18 for racing and charitable gambling, 21 for lotteries and casinos
• Smoking ban: Louisiana permits smoking in casinos. New Orleans bans smoking at Harrah’s through city ordinance.
• Louisiana Online gambling: Horse racing

Louisiana gambling has the deepest roots of any other state in the South. It was home to the first racing industry in the region. It also hosted the most infamous lottery racket in history.

Modern day Louisiana gambling is still among the most friendly in the South. It hosts a lottery, horse racing, off-track betting, charitable gaming and full-scale Louisiana casinos. About half of the parishes legalized video poker at bars, taverns and truck stops. These types of sin have become a part of the state’s history.

With a total of 21 Louisiana casinos, six of them being Native American casinos, there are plenty of locations to choose from. Depending on your location, you can check the Louisiana casinos map and find the nearest one.

Paying Gambling Taxes in Louisiana

Map Of Casinos In Louisiana

Did you know that your gambling income is taxable? OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos has gathered everything you need to know about paying taxes on your gambling winnings straight from a Certified Public Accountant. For more information please visit our exclusive Gambling Taxes article.

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November 2018 Update

After the midterm elections, Daily Fantasy Sports will be a reality in the state. Residents decided to approve an initiative to allow the contests. Out of the 64 parishes in the state, 47 were in favor of legalizing daily fantasy sports. Those who voted in approval will be able to offer the option.

Due to the state constitution prohibiting gambling, legislation implementing the initiative will state that participation in a fantasy sports contest will not be considered gambling.

Louisiana Casinos Map & Guide

• Harrah’s
• Golden Nugget
• Boomtown
• Horseshoe Casino
• Paragon Casino

• Number of B&M Casinos: 21
• Number of Poker Rooms: 13
• Number of Indian Casinos: 6

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Types of Louisiana Online Gambling Allowed

The only form of legal Louisiana online gambling is off-track betting. Horses are the only types of races permitted.

Daily fantasy sports are illegal in Louisiana. The state forbids games of any chance, as well as all forms of online gambling not specifically legalized by statute. Louisiana takes a hard line against illegal online gambling operators. Most offshore poker, casino, and sports betting sites do not even attempt to take action from Louisianans.

Types of Live Louisiana Gambling

• Slots: Yes
• Blackjack: Yes
• Poker: Yes
• Craps/Roulette: Yes
• Horses: Yes
• Lottery: Yes

There are many forms of live gambling in Louisiana. No other state in the South compares to it.

Horseracing is one of the original forms of gambling in Louisiana. There are several tracks in the state that offer live and simulcast racing. There is a state lottery that sells scratch-off and lotto tickets.

Charities are permitted to sell bingo cards, raffle tickets, and pools that involve games of chance. These must be operated by nonprofit organizations that register with the state.

There are plenty of legal Louisiana casinos that offer all of the popular games. There are three types of casinos in Louisiana. There are riverboat casinos, which comprises all but one commercial Louisiana casino. Harrah’s New Orleans has a special arrangement that allows it to be on land. That is because it guarantees a minimum number of jobs. There are also Native American Louisiana casinos located on reservation land.

The most unusual form of live gambling in Louisiana is video poker. It is not legal everywhere. Local jurisdictions decide whether video poker should be permitted through referendums. As of February 2016, 31 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes legalized video poker in one form or another. Some allow it in taverns while others expand that right to racetracks and/or truck stops.

Louisiana Gambling Laws

There is unusual minimum gambling ages in Louisiana. Minimum Louisiana gambling age for Bingo and racing players is 18 years to get into action. The state lottery requires players to be at least 21 years old. Louisiana casinos and convenience-style video poker also have a minimum gambling age of 21 years.

Louisiana gambling laws specifically prohibits all forms of internet gambling. Online gamblers face a fine of up to $500 for participating. Louisiana is one of just two states with explicit penalties for players. While gambling online is a misdemeanor, site operators of unlicensed poker, casino, and sports betting sites face felonies if convicted of the crime.

Louisiana casinos are required to be located on bodies of water. There are currently 15 Louisiana casino licenses for commercial operations. Five casinos in Shreveport. Four casinos in Lake Charles. There are three casinos in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Harrah’s New Orleans is the exception to this rule. In exchange for this monopoly, Harrah’s must employ at least 2,400 people. These positions are not required to be full time. Harrah’s was required to pay a $100 million annual tax payment to the state. That was later lowered to $60 million.

The original agreement with the state did not permit Harrah’s to have a hotel. This was repealed in 2001. Harrah’s was also permitted to open a full-service restaurant at that time. These conditions were originally placed on the casino to prevent it from taking business away from other businesses in downtown New Orleans.

There are 31 parishes that permit video poker. Each local jurisdiction has the right to determine where these devices may be hosted or whether the games are outright illegal. The tax rate is 26% for games located in bars and restaurants. Racetracks get a discounted 22.5% tax rate. Truck stops must pay 32.5% in taxes. Local governments receive 20% of the taxes collected. Other funds go towards local law enforcement, problem gambling, and horsemen. Two-thirds of the taxes collected go to the general fund of the state.

List of Louisiana Casinos

There are four racetracks and 28 Louisiana casinos that currently operate within the state. There are 31 parishes where video poker is available in some capacity. There is also a state lottery and a wide range of charitable organizations that spread games of chance.

You can find all Louisiana casinos below, with details on their location, size, and website. For more detailed information on locating them, you can use our Louisiana casinos map to help guide you to the closest one.

• Louisiana Downs – Bossier City
• Evangeline Downs – Opelousas

Nearest Casino To Me

• Delta Downs – Vinton
• Fairgrounds Race Course – New Orleans

History of Louisiana Gambling

The first form of organized gambling in Louisiana was a government-run casino in 1753. There were more places to gamble in Louisiana than nearly any other city in the early 1800’s. The federal government had enough of the rampant gambling in the territory and banned casinos in 1812. The law exempted New Orleans. The legality of casinos bounced back and forth until 1866.

The first version of the Louisiana Lotterystarted in 1866. The state outlawed all other forms of gambling at that time. A private company operated the lottery. It paid the state $40,000 a year. This early form of the Louisiana Lottery accepted action across state lines. It held a near-100% market share in the country. Tickets and transactions were handled by mail. This was legal at the time but Congress deemed it unlawful on 1890. The lottery became so despised that the state legislature repealed it in 1893.

Horseracing was legalized in 1929. The first track was at the New Orleans Fair Grounds. It was the only place in the state where gambling was regulated at the time. A state lottery was created in 1991 through a constitutional referendum.

Casinos in Louisiana were legalized the same year as the lottery. Fifteen casino licenses were created where all but one, are required to be located on bodies of water. The other is in downtown New Orleans. Harrah’s New Orleans agreed to several restrictions to bypass the water-based requirement. It must employ 2,400 people. It was not permitted a hotel in its early years. This Louisiana casino had trouble reopening after the destruction of New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina. The casino was not damaged as it is built several feet above the streets and in an area not flooded due to its elevation. It was difficult to find the required number of employees.

Harrah’s New Orleans has another issue affecting its operation these days. The New Orleans City Council banned smoking at Harrah’s in 2015. This did not affect the other casinos in the metro area. Harrah’s saw an immediate drop in business of 20-25%.

Four Native American tribes negotiated gaming pacts with the state under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. There are six Native American casinos in Louisiana located on reservation lands.

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Video poker Online casino games in nj. started to appear in truck stops and bars in the 1980’s. The games were a problem and the state decided to legalize them in 1991 to generate tax revenue. This was met with opposition from conservative groups. The state permitted each parish to determine the legality of video poker in 1996. Voters approved video poker in 31 of the 66 parishes.

Louisiana Casinos & Gambling FAQ

Yes, there are currently 21 casinos in Louisiana.

The minimum Louisiana gambling age is 18 years for racing and charitable gambling, and 21 years for lotteries and casinos.

Slots, video poker, live poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Pai Gow Poker and baccarat are among the casino games available in the state.

No. There is one land-based casino in New Orleans and six reservation casinos.

Harrah’s agreed to keep 2,400 employees on the payroll in exchange for dropping the requirement of being on the Mississippi River. It also pays a $60 million per year licensing tax that does not apply to other casinos.

There is no statewide smoking ban in Louisiana. New Orleans passed a city ordinance banning smoking in all indoor areas, including casinos. Harrah’s is the only casino in the city limits.

Yes. It sells scratch-off and lotto tickets.

Yes. This includes live races, race books, and mobile betting.

State law expressly forbids online gambling. State residents can be fined up to $500, although no player has ever been convicted. Off-track racing is exempted.

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Daily fantasy sports sites like DraftKings and FanDuel are illegal in the state.