DraftKings Louisiana: Legit? Tax Jumped to 21.5%

DraftKings Louisiana: Legal Since 2022, Now Taxed Higher

DraftKings Louisiana has run as a licensed mobile sportsbook since January 28, 2022, one of six operators that flipped on at launch. Legal hasn't changed since — what changed is the math: as of a 2025 law, Louisiana now takes 21.5% of net sports betting revenue instead of the original 15%.

Legal status in Louisiana

Louisiana voters legalized sports betting parish by parish on November 8, 2020, with 55 of the state's 64 parishes approving it and the other nine opting out under Louisiana's local-option system — a bettor physically standing in one of those nine parishes cannot place a mobile wager there even though the app works statewide otherwise. Retail sportsbooks opened in November 2021, and mobile wagering followed on January 28, 2022, with DraftKings among the first six operators live alongside FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM, BetRivers, and Barstool. Every online license is tied to a licensed retail casino partner, as Louisiana law requires; DraftKings launched through Golden Nugget Casino Lake Charles and, in February 2025, also became the official sportsbook of the new $270 million Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana in Bossier City. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board licenses and regulates every operator. Tax has moved since launch: House Bill 639, signed by Governor Jeff Landry on June 18, 2025, raised the online sports betting tax from 15% to 21.5% of net revenue. Louisiana has not legalized real-money online casino play at all — a 2026 law (HB 53 and HB 883) also banned sweepstakes-style casino apps statewide, effective August 1, 2026 — so DraftKings Casino, live in five other states, is not an option here regardless.

State gambling authority: Louisiana Gaming Control Board

DraftKings Louisiana isn't a recent arrival — mobile betting has run here since January 28, 2022, one of the earliest markets DraftKings entered outside the original wave of legal states. What's newer is the tax bill the state now hands the operator, and that's worth understanding before assuming nothing here has changed since launch.

Is DraftKings Legal in Louisiana?

Yes, but not everywhere in the state. Louisiana legalized sports betting the unusual way: a statewide ballot question on November 8, 2020 that let each of the state's 64 parishes vote separately. Fifty-five approved it. Nine didn't, and mobile wagering is geofenced out of those nine regardless of which sportsbook app is installed. Retail sportsbooks opened first, in November 2021; mobile followed January 28, 2022, with DraftKings one of six operators live on day one alongside FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM, BetRivers, and Barstool.

The parish rule: Louisiana doesn't have one statewide legal/illegal line. It has 64 separate ones. Nine parishes opted out in the 2020 vote — check your parish, not just the state, before assuming mobile betting works where you are.

Is DraftKings Legit in Louisiana?

Louisiana requires every online sportsbook to operate through a licensed retail casino partner — no skin, no license. DraftKings launched through Golden Nugget Casino Lake Charles, and in February 2025 added a second, higher-profile relationship: official sportsbook of the new $270 million Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana in Bossier City, a Cordish Companies property. That's a real, regulated partnership structure, and it's the same model every operator in the state uses.

What Changed in 2025: The Tax Rate

Louisiana taxed net sports betting revenue at 15% from launch in 2022. House Bill 639, signed by Governor Jeff Landry on June 18, 2025, raised that to 21.5%. Nothing about legality moved — this is a state revenue decision, not a crackdown — but it's the kind of change that eventually shows up in which promotions an operator can afford to keep running.

Is DraftKings Safe to Use in Louisiana?

Safe in the licensing sense: the Louisiana Gaming Control Board oversees every operator, geolocation enforces the parish-by-parish rule, and there's a real regulator behind any dispute. It does not mean the app can find money for you. Treat it as entertainment spending, not income.

No Online Casino Here — And It's Not DraftKings' Call

DraftKings Casino exists in five states — Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia — but Louisiana isn't one of them and can't become one without new legislation. The state has never authorized real-money online casino play, and in 2026 lawmakers went further, banning sweepstakes-style casino apps outright (HB 53 and HB 883) effective August 1, 2026. Sports betting only, for now.

Quick facts: Legal in 55 of 64 parishes since the November 2020 vote · Mobile betting live since January 28, 2022 · Regulator: Louisiana Gaming Control Board · Tax raised from 15% to 21.5% via HB 639, June 18, 2025 · No online casino, sweepstakes apps banned August 1, 2026.

Gambling is entertainment, not a strategy for making money, and that's true whether the tax rate is 15% or 21.5%. If it stops feeling like entertainment, Louisiana's problem gambling helpline is 1-877-770-7867. 21+ only.

DraftKings Louisiana — Frequently Asked Questions

Is DraftKings legal in Louisiana?

Yes, in 55 of the state's 64 parishes. Voters approved sports betting parish by parish on November 8, 2020; the other nine parishes opted out and mobile wagering doesn't work there even if you're physically standing in one. Mobile betting statewide (where allowed) went live January 28, 2022.

Is DraftKings legit in Louisiana?

Yes. It launched through a licensed retail partner, Golden Nugget Casino Lake Charles, as Louisiana law requires for every online skin, and in February 2025 also became the official sportsbook of the new Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana in Bossier City. That's a real, audited casino relationship, not a shell arrangement.

Is DraftKings safe to use in Louisiana?

As safe as a Louisiana Gaming Control Board license makes it: geolocation confirms you're in an eligible parish, the operator is audited, and there's a state regulator to complain to. Safe licensing is a different claim from betting being a safe way to make money — it isn't.

Why did DraftKings Louisiana get more expensive to run?

It didn't get more expensive for the bettor directly, but for the operator: House Bill 639, signed June 18, 2025, raised Louisiana's tax on net sports betting revenue from 15% to 21.5%. Higher operator taxes tend to show up eventually in trimmed promotions, not sportsbook shutdowns.

Does DraftKings have an online casino in Louisiana?

No, and it can't. DraftKings Casino only operates in Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia — but Louisiana wouldn't allow it anyway. The state has never legalized real-money online casino play, and a 2026 law banned sweepstakes-style casino apps outright starting August 1, 2026.

Can I use DraftKings in every Louisiana parish?

No. Nine of the state's 64 parishes voted against sports betting in the November 2020 referendum and mobile wagering is blocked there by geolocation, regardless of which app you use. The other 55 parishes are fully live.