DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 357 Original 2020 Regular Session Magee
Abstract: Creates the Louisiana Sports Wagering Control Act, requires a proposition election to
determine whether sports wagering shall be permitted in each parish, and provides for the
regulation of sports wagering.
Proposed law creates the "Louisiana Sports Wagering Control Act" and provides for a proposition
election to be held on Nov. 3, 2020, to determine whether sports wagering shall be permitted in a
particular parish. For purposes of proposed law, "sports wagering" means the business of accepting
wagers on a sports event approved by the La. Gaming Control Board, provided all of the following
conditions are met:
(1)The outcome of the sports event can be verified.
(2)The outcome of the sports event can be generated by a reliable and independent process.
(3)The outcome of the sports event is not affected by any wager placed.
(4)The sports event is conducted in conformity with applicable laws.
(5)The wager shall only be accepted from persons 21 years of age or older.
Proposed law further provides that the term "sports wagering" may also include proposition wagers
on novelty occurrences or nonoccurrences, or individual players over a broad spectrum of
possibilities within a sports event that are not dependent on the final outcome of the sports event as
approved by the board.
If a majority of the qualified electors in at least one parish in the state vote to approve the proposition
to permit sports wagering in such parish, proposed law requires the La. Gaming Control Board to
adopt all rules necessary to implement, administer, and regulate sports wagering as provided by
proposed law.
Upon adoption of rules by the La. Gaming Control Board and the enactment of laws to provide for
the licensing, regulation, and taxation of revenue relative to sports wagering, proposed law does all
of the following:
(1)Authorizes sports wagering in only those parishes in which a majority of qualified electors
in the parish voting on the proposition voted for the proposition to permit sports wagering in the parish.
(2)Provides an exception to the present law crimes of gambling (R.S. 14:90) and gambling by
computer (R.S. 14:90.3) for sports wagering.
(Amends R.S. 27:15(B)(1); Adds R.S. 14:90(E) and 90.3(K) and R.S. 27:601-605)