It was only a month after the bill which sought to classify sweepstakes casinos as racketeering was first introduced, when Louisiana lawmakers had a new proposal ready even before the session on March 9.
Rep. Laurie Schlegel’ s HB 883 aims at including in Louisiana’s online gambling regulations the dual currency system which is used by sweepstakes casinos. It is worth noting that quite a few operators left the state after cease and desist orders were issued in June 2025.
In fact, last year, Louisiana lawmakers also tried to pass a legislative act that would have closed down sweepstakes casinos. The bill got as far as Governor Jeff Landry, who vetoed it on the grounds that it was unneeded.
What provisions are included in House Bill 883
HB 883 defines “gambling by computer” as any online game or contest that involves a dual currency system where players can exchange credits for prizes, cash, or the like, and that imitates any form of gambling. It is worth mentioning that sweepstakes are not emphasized.
HB 883 went on to clarify the exclusions. Licensed activities like riverboat gaming, pari-mutuel wagering, the state lottery, fantasy sports, and regulated sports betting are not considered gambling by computer.
The bill is broadly drawn to encompass “financial transaction providers” and “platform providers,” which are simply referring to payment processors or hosting services that are aware of and support these activities.
The punishments are stringent. Those who conduct gambling by using computers can be punished by hefty fines of up to $100,000 and may also be sentenced to imprisonment for a period of five years with or without hard labor. The accomplices or promoters can be fined up to $20,000 and are liable to imprisonment for up to five years, the offenses being doubled if minors are involved.
The Attorney General will be empowered with the enforcement powers, such as being able to issue cease and desist orders, keep a public list of offenders, and initiate proceedings for court injunctions to close down the websites, freeze accounts, or stop payment processors from handling transactions.
Louisiana sees two sweepstakes bills in just three months
HB 883 is the second such bill this year in Louisiana aimed at regulating sweepstakes. The first, HB 53, introduced on 30 January, equated sweepstakes casinos with racketeering. It was a response to a situation when six months before that regulators together with the Attorney General forced operators to stop their activities by law even though no official ban had been issued.
However, the bill is concise, yet its impact is significant as it also takes the concept of racketeering one step further in which it lists a number of offenses including gambling by electronic sweepstakes devices and gambling by computer to bribery of sports participants.
The language describes racketeering as:
Committing, attempting to commit, conspiring to commit, or soliciting, coercing, or intimidating another person to commit any crime that is punishable under the following provisions of Title 14 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law, or the Louisiana Securities Law.
The charges are considered to be some of the state’s most serious ones and in case of non- compliance the offenders may face hefty fines of up to $1 million as well as imprisonment with hard labor for up to fifty years.
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