Casinos such as Belle of Baton Rouge, Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge and Eldorado Resort Casino Shreveport could soon be offering sports betting following confirmation from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards that he wants to legalise sports betting with some of the proceeds being used to improve early childhood education.

Sports betting is likely to be restricted to casinos and racetracks, which would provide 20 locations across the state.
Sports betting would be another timely boost for the state’s 15 riverboat casinos which were recently allowed to relocate onshore to larger space for gambling.

Governor John Bel Edwards said: “I want to be in a position to actually do it in Louisiana because we know it is happening in Mississippi. It is important that our gaming isn’t diminished by the fact that patrons skip our casinos in order to go, for example, to Mississippi. The amount of additional revenue to Louisiana from sports betting is not going to be terribly significant though.”

The governor said sports betting tax could be used to expand early childhood education programs.

“We have way more than our fair share of students who show up and are not ready to learn and we don’t catch them up,” Edwards said. “If we are serious about education in Louisiana, this is just something we are going to have to do.”
Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Jones wants some of the revenue generated from sports betting taxation to go gambling addiction services.

http://g3newswire.com/us-louisiana-to-look-at-legalising-sports-betting/