Will Daily Fantasy Sports Betting Be Legal In Louisiana?

The history of daily fantasy sports in Louisiana

In truth, it’s taken Louisiana longer than most states to get to this point, with voters first backing the legalization of DFS games in 2018.

Generally, US sportsbooks and US daily fantasy sports sites have been split up into two separate categories legally. However, Louisiana sports betting struggled to make this distinction and the process became bogged down in a legal quagmire.

With the issue bouncing back and forth, it wasn’t until 2020 that measures for DFS were passed as part of a broader sports betting bill. Now, some two years later, DraftKings Louisiana has become the first provider of legal DFS to obtain a license in the Pelican State.

The breakthrough will of course pave the way for other DFS operators to enter Louisiana, however experts are predicting that there may still be issues. Chief among these will be the state’s $15,000 “investigation fee”, which may be cost-prohibitive to smaller organisations.

Which daily fantasy sports betting sites will operate in Louisiana?

As mentioned above, DraftKings will be the first DFS operator to officially launch in Louisiana – and where DraftKings is, FanDuel is sure to follow.

The two rivals go hand-in-hand, and with both brands obtaining a sports betting license, it’s only natural that their DFS services will also be available.

Although no launch date has been provided for either label, FanDuel Louisiana should go live around the same time as the first LA betting apps. Details here are still being ironed out, but lawmakers remain hopeful of having sports betting ready in time for Super Bowl LVI.

Beyond those two industry heavyweights, it becomes difficult to predict which other DFS sites may yet launch in Louisiana. Certainly Monkey Knife Fight and FantasyDraft are among the better-known brands to be in with a chance, but as of yet, neither has applied for a license. It's interesting to see that Caesars Sportsbook Louisiana will likely join the market through SuperDraft brand.

What sign-up bonuses can I claim at DraftKings and FanDuel when they launch?

Just as the first wave of legal LA online sportsbooks will offer free bets to customers, DFS sites will also offer bonuses to new players.

At the time of writing, state specific offers for both DraftKings and FanDuel are yet to be revealed. However, we can look to both brands’ general offers to get an idea of what might be available in LA.

Both DraftKings and FanDuel typically offer players a first deposit match bonus worth up to $500. These funds are issued as bet credits on either site, with players able to use their bonus to enter a number of exciting competitions. To pre-register for an early DraftKings Louisiana account, click here.