Legal Online Sports Betting For Louisiana Residents

While Louisiana may be known most for their unique New Orleans life style, sports are actually a big part of life in the Bayou State, with one of their nicknames appropriately labeling them the Sportsman's Paradise. Louisiana boasts 2 professional sports teams, and several prominent collegiate sports programs. This guide also includes information on betting on football in Louisiana and covers information on both professional and college football betting options. LA is pro-gambling, with multiple brick and mortar and riverboat casinos operating throughout the state, which makes it no surprise that sports fans residing in Louisiana, are interested in responsible sportsbook wagering. While the state does allow several types of state based gambling entertainment, including casino, poker, pari-mutuel and lottery gambling, sports betting is a whole different situation.

Top Rated Louisiana Online Sportsbooks

Sportsbook Name	Welcome Bonus	USA Accepted	Rating	Visit
Bovada Sportsbook	50% - $250	Yes		Visit
Betonline Sportsbook	25% - $1000	Yes		Visit
Sportsbetting.ag	25% - $1000	Yes		Visit
Bookmaker	15% - $2500	Yes		Visit

Is Online Sports Betting Legal In Louisiana And What Are The State Laws?

State based sports betting is not an option in the state of Louisiana. The problem lies in the federal laws which effectively prohibit state based sports wagering opportunities in the United States except for a few select destinations which were exempted from inclusion through a grandfather clause. Louisiana was not one of those exempted from the law. There are also a handful of coastal sports betting opportunities aboard gambling cruises which enter international waters to provide legal sports betting options. However, when it comes to state based sports betting in the Bayou State, all bets are off. This guide takes an insightful look into sports betting options for bettors in Louisiana, and provides helpful information concerning legal online sportsbooks accepting Louisiana players, what these options have to offer, and how to ensure you stay on the legal side of sports betting entertainment. While federal laws govern all US based sportsbook wagering activity, you can review the state's gambling laws by visiting the Louisiana State Legislature website.

What Is The Legal Gambling Age For Louisiana Players?

You must be at least 21 years old to both gamble at the brick and mortar casinos located in Louisiana or to bet online for real money. The minimum age for participating in pari-mutuel wagering and lottery games is 18 years of age.

Are There Any Legal Louisiana Sports Betting Sites Available?

Yes, there are legal online sportsbooks which are licensed to provide their sports wagering services to players in Louisiana. These virtual destinations are not located within the United States, hence they do not break any of the federal laws that are in place to govern US based sports betting. Legitimate offshore Internet sports books that are licensed, certified and regulated by a respected governing jurisdiction are legally sanctioned to provide their gambling services to players from around the world, including those residing in or visiting Louisiana. They are able to do this because they have expressly legalized online sports betting for their region. The fact that they are based and regulated outside of the United States ensures that they are not breaking any of the US federal laws simply by offering their services to American bettors. There are no federal laws which prohibit US bettors from participating in legally licensed and regulated online sports betting that is regulated outside of the USA.

Please remember that just because a sportsbook is licensed does not instantly guarantee that they are a reputable and high quality destination at which to bet on sports. We recommend you seek the input of professionals through resources guides such as this one to ensure that you are only reaching sports wagering businesses which are trusted, legitimate and offer a safe and enjoyable gambling environment. Each brand you see represented in this guide has been vetted and approved by online sports betting experts with many years of experience in the industry. We can assure you that the recommendations made in our guide are among the best that the industry has to offer.

What Types of Sports Can I Bet On at Licensed Louisiana Online Sportsbooks?

While we cannot speak for every brand out there, we can tell you that the sportsbooks listed on this page all offer a substantial range of betting lines and wagering options. You will see all types of sports included, and teams from around the world, including both professional and collegiate programs, major and minor leagues, as well as European leagues. And yes, Louisiana sports teams are included in the betting lines, with both professional and college teams represented. The sportsbooks we recommend offer lines on NFL and NCAA football, as well as various European football leagues, NBA and college basketball, MLB and college baseball, professional, amateur and European soccer, NHL, college and minor league hockey, golf, tennis, boxing, MMA, motor sports, cricket, rugby, darts, swimming, diving, boating, surfing, Olympic events, and many others. You will even find lines for non-sports related events, such as reality competition shows, political elections, celebrity gossip and current events.

For wagering options, your selection will vary by brand, however you will find a strong range of options, including teasers, player, team and game props, moneyline, proposition, standard and multi-sport parlays, and of live betting, among others. Live betting has become a staple at the industry leading sportsbook brands, and is also offered through their mobile sports betting applications. For those who have never used this feature, live betting allows you to place wagering during the game, adding a great deal of intense excitement to your wagering entertainment. In fact, I pretty much rule out any brand that doesn't offer live betting options. Not every single event will be included in live betting at every sports book, but the majority of the popular ones will offer this option.

Trends for Betting on Popular Louisiana Sports Teams

The New Orleans Pelicans

Although they've only been around for a few short years, the New Orleans Pelicans have a very long and somewhat confusing history. They actually started out as the Charlotte Hornets. Then, in 2002, they became the New Orleans Hornets. However, around a decade or so later, Charlotte wanted its pro sports team back, primarily because legendary player Michael Jordan was looking to buy a team. So, in 2013, the Hornets of New Orleans became the Pelicans. Since becoming the Pelicans, New Orleans has picked up star Anthony Davis and are now in a good position in the Western Conference, actually earning a spot to the playoffs last year.

They weren't the best team on paper last year, but they did have a 49-37 record ATS (against the spread). This is fairly decent considering that they play in the West, where the teams of today are exceedingly hard to beat. Another area where the Pelicans really shone was on their home floor in New Orleans when they were underdogs. As dogs, they frequently covered the spread or outright won, and their record as home dogs was 12-3. They also covered in three out of four playoff games, and after a loss they were an impressive 25-15.

The Pelicans might not be a surefire lock if you're going to bet, but they are a solid basketball team. We actually see last year's trends improving for this season. It's feasible that the Pelicans could go 70% or better ATS, given the offensive talent they have. They can stay in games to keep them close, and they can pull away against inferior opponents. They're in a good spot for gamblers.

The New Orleans Saints

Since winning the Super Bowl in 2009, things have been pretty much downhill for the Saints. Drew Brees is still a great talent at QB, and they have RB Mark Ingram out of Alabama, the only Tide player to ever win the Heisman Trophy. But because of a lackluster defense, the Saints cannot stop teams from scoring points. They get stuck in a rut and end up falling behind in their division. Other good offenses are the Saints' kryptonite, and there's little the team can do to stop an offensive attack from beating them on the scoreboard. This became evident last year as the Saints again failed to make the playoffs.

However, they weren't that bad of a team with gamblers. They went 11-8 overall ATS, and they were actually 2-0 as home underdogs. As flat underdogs, they were 4-1 and even went 3-1 after a loss. They did a decent job of ensuring that point spreads didn't bury them, but they couldn't translate this into actual wins on the season.

If the trends are changing at all for New Orleans this year, they're trending up. Look for them to have a better overall ATS record, and look for their overall win vs. loss record to improve by a solid four games. We're not walking out on the limb to predict any sort of NFC Championship or Super Bowl, but we do expect that the Saints will be in the playoffs at the end of the season.

The LSU Tigers

The Tigers of LSU were a tough team in the SEC back when Nick Saban was coaching them to a National Championship win, and they didn't lose that edge at all when Les Miles took over in 2004. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they're currently not as good as other schools within their own division, such as Mississippi State, Texas A&M, the Auburn Tigers, and the Alabama Crimson Tide. They're roughly equal to the Arkansas Razorbacks, and with their last National Championship coming in 2007, and their last SEC title coming in 2011, the Tigers don't have much to fall back on recently in the realm of accomplishments.

Though this isn't the LSU you want to hear about. You're here to find out how they handle betting numbers. Last season, they were a total of 8-5 ATS. This doesn't seem that great, but you have to realize that 7 of those wins came as favorites. What this means is that when LSU is favored in a game, they're over 80% to actually win that game. In this instance, they share something in common with a team like Alabama. For betters, it's simple: If LSU are favored in a game, take them and the points. They're very likely to win. They also went 4-1 as home favorites and 3-1 after a loss. They won't be National Champions this year, but they will make for some good betting.