Work to be done before fantasy sports betting available in Louisiana

It will probably be at least a year before fantasy sports betting is available in Louisiana, according to the chairman of the gaming control board.

A proposal to allow fantasy sports gaming passed in 47 Louisiana parishes, including two local parishes.

Calcasieu and Cameron both passed the measure in Tuesday’s midterm elections. The proposal legalized fantasy sports betting on websites like FanDuel and Draft Kings.

Ronnie Jones, chairman of Louisiana gaming control board, said that the board, the Louisiana legislature and the fantasy sports industry must now put into place measures before fantasy sports betting is available.

A bill will likely be introduced in the spring legislative session that will set application fees or taxes, the gaming board will have to set rules and regulations and the fantasy sports industry will have to set geo-fencing parameters for the parishes that voted yes.

“There are two or three different parallel tracks that things will be going on,” Jones said. “I suspect it will be near the end of 2019 before everything comes into place.”

While geofencing might be expensive for the industry, the technology is already available and has been implemented in other areas, such as New Jersey, Jones said.

“I think it’s going to be an interesting journey for us and the people who voted for this will have an opportunity to play,” Jones said.

How we voted locally

• Allen - NO (54 percent or 3,129 votes to 2,713)
• Beauregard - NO (56 percent or 5,589 votes to 4,431)
• Calcasieu - YES (56 percent or 32,425 votes to 25,914)
• Cameron - YES (55 percent or 1,285 votes to 1,058)
• Jeff Davis - NO (51 percent or 4,551 votes to 4,451)
• Vernon - NO (58 percent or 5,920 votes to 4,247)

How they voted statewide

• Allen - NO
• Acadia - YES
• Ascension - YES
• Assumption - YES
• Avoyelles - NO
• Bienville - YES
• Bossier - YES
• Beauregard - NO
• Caddo - YES
• Calcasieu - YES
• Caldwell - NO
• Cameron - YES
• Catahoula - NO
• Claiborne - YES
• Concordia - YES
• De Soto -  YES
• East Baton Rouge - YES
• East Carroll - YES
• East Feliciana - YES
• Evangeline - YES
• Franklin - NO
• Grant - NO
• Iberia - YES
• Iberville - YES
• Jackson - NO
• Jefferson - YES
• Jeff Davis - NO
• Lafayette - YES
• Lafourche - YES
• Lasalle - NO
• Lincoln - YES
• Livingston - YES
• Madison - YES
• Morehouse - NO
• Natchitoches - YES
• Orleans - YES
• Ouachita - YES
• Plaquemines - YES
• Pointe Coupee - YES
• Rapides - YES
• Red River - YES
• Richland - NO
• Sabine - NO
• St. Bernard - YES
• St. Charles - YES
• St. Helena - YES
• St. James - YES
• St. John the Baptist - YES
• St. Landry - YES
• St. Martin - YES
• St. Mary - YES
• St. Tammany - YES
• Tangipahoa - YES
• Tensas - YES
• Terrebonne - YES
• Union - NO
• Vernon - NO
• Vermilion - YES
• Washington - YES
• Webster - YES
• West Baton Rouge - YES
• West Carroll - NO
• West Feliciana - YES
• Winn - NO

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