Jeff Landry's Decision on Louisiana's Sweepstakes Casino Ban Looms

Louisiana’s legislature has once again passed a bill aimed at banning sweepstakes casinos. However, Gov. Jeff Landry’s signature is once again standing in the way.

Senate Bill 181 passed in 2025, only for Gov. Landry to veto the bill that sought to directly ban dual-currency sweepstakes gaming. This happened despite the bill sailing through the Senate 39-0 and the House 99-0. Landry argued that lawmakers had written a redundant bill.

Attorney General Liz Murrill had already taken the position that these platforms were illegal under Louisiana law, regulators were sending cease-and-desist letters, and operators were heading for the exits. The governor essentially argued that lawmakers had no reason to pass a new law to ban something Louisiana had already banned.

Now, a year later, the exact same veto outcome could happen.

What’s Different This Time as Louisiana Targets Sweepstakes

The legislature appears to have learned something from last year’s veto, as this year’s effort is more sophisticated. Louisiana ran two parallel bills, instead of one, and lawmakers designed them to address Landry’s stated objection rather than ignore it.

House Bill 883 gained passage in mid-May in the Senate after a 35-0 vote, after the House had already cleared it. The bill targets the dual-currency model that defines sweepstakes casinos and currently sits on Landry’s desk.

Lawmakers framed it differently this time around, as HB 883 explicitly writes into statute that dual-currency gaming counts as illegal gambling by computer. Instead of simply banning the activity, it codifies the exact legal interpretation that Murrill and the governor have both already endorsed.

That’s a clever response to the veto, as Landry’s whole argument in 2025 focused on the current law having already decided the matter. HB 883 removes any ambiguity over whether Louisiana law already treats this activity as illegal.

The second bill, House Bill 53, is more aggressive and passed both chambers last week. It adds illegal gaming by computer offenses to Louisiana’s racketeering framework. That means prosecutors could treat an illegal sweepstakes operation as part of a racketeering case and not just a single gambling violation.

That opens the door to charges like money laundering and prosecution tactics usually reserved for criminal enterprises. The penalties can include fines of up to $1 million and prison terms of up to 50 years.

The two bills together form a coherent target. HB 883 closes any remaining legal defense argument by making the prohibition explicit. HB 53 then hands prosecutors a strong weapon to use against anyone who ignores the ban.

Does Louisiana Need a Sweepstakes Ban?

One issue is that the big enforcement push in 2025 appears to have worked. Murrill’s legal opinions and the cease-and-desist letters pushed more than 40 major sweepstakes brands to pull out of Louisiana or stop offering their cash-redeemable Sweepstakes Coins there. That means Gov. Landry might very well say once more that new legislation is solving a problem the state already solved.

However, the case for a signature is also strong, as the two bills this year are more about enforcement than prohibition. Their job is to deal with any operator who didn’t leave. Some smaller offshore operators still accept customers in Louisiana, so threats of a racketeering case could be enough to cause them to finally back off.

The governor could sign the bills and present them as the next logical step, saying that the state already asked sweepstakes casinos nicely to leave, which legitimate operators did. Now, lawmakers would give prosecutors the tools to treat any holdouts like criminal operations.

Trying to predict what Gov. Landry might do is a hard call. He’s on record that sweepstakes bans are a waste of legislative effort. But lawmakers are clearly adamant that Louisiana needs the new dual legislation.

Image credit: Gage Skidmore/Flickr (license)

Andrew O'Malley

Editor

Andrew O’Malley has been involved in the gambling industry for more than a decade. With a background in math and finance, he brings a unique perspective to gambling journalism. He covers everything from the latest prediction market litigation to sports betting scandals and iGaming legislation for publications like Gambling Insider and Gaming America. As a gambling journalist, Andrew closely follows breaking stories while also producing in-depth analysis pieces. He frequently speaks with experts in their respective fields to provide unique and informed perspectives.