Louisiana lawmakers are intensifying their fight against sweepstakes gambling with the introduction of a new bill that could make a variety of gambling-related offenses predicate crimes for racketeering cases. If passed, HB53 would allow authorities to treat sweepstakes casinos, bribery of athletes, and public gambling violations as part of larger organized crime investigations, carrying stiffer penalties than standard infractions.

HB53 Targets Sweepstakes and Other Gambling Offenses

The bill proposes adding multiple gambling violations to the list of predicate offenses under Louisiana’s racketeering laws. Each individual offense may not independently constitute racketeering, but together they could form the basis of a racketeering prosecution, which carries potential penalties of up to $1 million in fines and 50 years in prison.

The offenses covered include:

• Gambling

• Gambling in public

• Gambling by computer

• Gambling or wagering at cockfights

• Gambling by electronic sweepstakes device

• Unlawful wagering by prohibited players

• Bribery of sports participants

Lawmakers are framing this as a continuation of the state’s long-running crackdown on sweepstakes casinos, which began in earnest last summer with 42 cease-and-desist orders issued to operators.

Sweepstakes Operators Leaving the State

The legislative pressure has already forced many popular sweepstakes casinos to exit Louisiana, including VGW, WOW Vegas, Global Poker, and ClubWPT Gold. Many of these operators were also facing legal action for unpaid taxes.

A shrinking number of sweepstakes venues remain active in the state, but the new bill signals that lawmakers are determined to eliminate the gray market entirely.

Historical Context: Sweepstakes Parlor vs. Online Sweepstakes

Louisiana has contended with two distinct types of sweepstakes gambling:

1. Sweepstakes Parlors (mid-2000s) – Physical locations where customers bought items such as prepaid cards and received free entries for games resembling slot machines. These were banned under R.S. 14:90.7 in 2010.

2. Online Dual-Currency Sweepstakes Casinos – Social casino platforms where players purchase tokens (e.g., Gold Coins) with no cash value but receive a complimentary currency redeemable for cash prizes. Over time, Louisiana has applied older legislation to cover these modern platforms.

The new HB53 continues this legislative trajectory, further blurring the line between sweepstakes gaming and illegal gambling under racketeering statutes.

Next Steps for HB53

The bill will return to the Louisiana Legislature on March 9, 2026, for its second and third readings, after which it will be assigned to a committee for further review. If passed, the law could make Louisiana one of the most aggressive states in targeting sweepstakes and related gambling operations through racketeering laws.