Louisiana has become the latest US market to open its borders to regulated sports betting, with 55 of the state’s 64 parishes embracing the sector.

Although not as prominent a market as the newly launched New York sector, Louisiana still olds significant potential, according to the hosts of the Legal Sports Report (LSR).

Offering his own views, guest host Matthew Waters noted that there are ‘some things we know for sure’, with regards to which operators will be going live in the state. 

He remarked: “Six sportsbooks will be live on Friday morning – Barstool, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel – and you’ll be able to access those apps in most of the state, 55 of the state’s 64 parishes.

“Time will tell how big this launch can be. We’ve seen out of New York that a lot of these operators are willing to fight for market share. The money won’t be as rich as New York, but Louisiana is still a very important state.”

Meanwhile, Matt Brown observed that operators in Louisiana have been “gifted” a strong commercial position with regards to geography and culture, as the region has a large sporting following. 

Notably, Louisiana is well known for its strong collegiate American football scene, with Louisiana State University (LSU) fielding a popular side, whilst the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) have a dedicated and loyal fan base.

Meanwhile, the state shares borders with the similarity football-obsessed state of Texas – also home to Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Soccer (MLS) sides – and the state of Mississippi, neither of which have fully embraced regulated sports betting. 

I think Louisiana is going to have sneaky big numbers because of the Texas factor,” Brown added. “It is so close to Dallas and Houston, even in Mississippi until they figure out what they’re going to do with mobile phones. People there who aren’t near a casino can drive across the border as well.”

He concluded: “I think Louisiana, at least in the short-term, could actually produce some pretty interesting numbers.”

Similarly, Dustin Gouker observed that the success of the Louisiana market will become all the more apparent when the American football season rolls around again, with the NFL and college football following combining to drive turnover. 

He said: “There’s a lot going for Louisiana heading into this. It’s a little weird, because not everywhere you live can you sign up and bet in some of the small rural parishes. There’s no reason it shouldn’t be big. 

“We should wait for football season, we’ve seen in a lot of markets when football season rolls around again. The pure volume of games and the excitement around the start of the NFL season is a little different but when it rolls around again it will be even bigger because we’ll have college football on top of that.”

Source – Legal Sports Report YouTube Channel