Louisiana lawmakers are advancing two separate bills targeting sweepstakes-style gambling, with one measure proposing racketeering charges and another redefining illegal gaming.
House Bill 53, introduced by Rep. Bryan Fontenot, cleared the Louisiana House in an 86–11 vote on March 30 and passed the Senate by a 27–9 vote on April 27. The bill was enrolled without amendments, signed by the Speaker of the House on April 29, and signed by the President of the Senate on May 4. It has been sent to Gov. Jeff Landry for consideration.
In parallel, House Bill 883, introduced by Rep. Laurie Schlegel, passed the House unanimously in a 99–0 vote on April 14. The measure was reported favorably by the Senate Committee on Judiciary B on April 28 and is now with the Senate Legislative Bureau, which approved HB 53 on April 20.
Racketeering classification introduces higher penalties
HB 53 would amend state law to classify several gambling-related offenses as predicate acts under the Louisiana Racketeering Act. These include:
- Gambling in public
- Gambling by computer
- Gambling by electronic sweepstakes device
- Unlawful wagering by a prohibited player
- Bribery of sports participants
If convicted, individuals could face fines of up to $1M and imprisonment at hard labor for up to 50 years, or both. When the value of the racketeering activity exceeds $10,000, at least five years of the sentence must be served without eligibility for probation, parole, or suspension.
Definition of illegal gaming broadened under second bill
HB 883 would revise the state’s definition of illegal gambling to include dual-currency systems that simulate wagering. The proposal applies to operators and also to platform providers, gaming and content suppliers, geolocation providers, promoters, media affiliates, and “any other person who knowingly supports or facilitates” such platforms.
Violations under HB 883 could result in fines of up to $40,000 and/or imprisonment for up to five years. Each wager accepted online would constitute a separate violation. The bill would also authorize Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office to seek temporary or permanent injunctions.
Prior veto and enforcement activity
A previous attempt to restrict sweepstakes gaming reached Gov. Jeff Landry in 2025 but was vetoed. In his veto statement, Landry wrote: “As such, this bill is a solution in search of a problem that is already being solved by our current system, and some of the language in this bill is overly broad and could be interpreted in an adverse manner, which may harm or impede our current enforcement actions taken against these bad actors.”
The governor cited existing authority held by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, state police, and the Attorney General’s Office to address unauthorized gambling.
Following that veto of Senate Bill 181, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board issued cease-and-desist orders to operators of sweepstakes sites and offshore gambling platforms.
During committee hearings on HB 53, Louisiana Chief Deputy Attorney General Larry Frieman supported the inclusion of racketeering provisions, stating that stricter measures are needed to address illegal gambling activities in the state. Gov. Landry has not yet indicated whether he will sign or veto HB 53.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/05/07/119713-louisiana-lawmakers-move-forward-with-illegal-gambling-penalties-and-sweepstakes-restrictions
