The Louisiana legislature will consider multiple bills that would limit the sports betting industry and those who can participate when its session opens next Monday.
The bill with the biggest impact, SB 354 by Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews, would ban most prop bets, including play-specific micro bets.
The other bill, SB 325 from Sen. Mike Reese, would force Louisiana sports betting operators to exclude any bettor that harasses anyone involved in an athletic event, including players, coaches and referees.
The Louisiana legislative session runs from next Monday through June 1.
Louisiana prop betting ban details
SB 354 would add new definitions for prop bets and micro bets to the state’s sports betting law:
- “Proposition bet” or “prop bet” means a side wager on a part of a sport or athletic event that does not concern the final outcome of the sport or athletic event.
- “Sports micro-bet” means a proposition bet which is wagered live, while a sport or athletic event is ongoing, and concerns the outcome of a play or action occurring in the sport or athletic event.
Both types of bets have been under scrutiny in some sports betting states given some betting scandals that have popped up in the past. Those scandals have led to some significant changes around betting rules.
For example, major sportsbooks no longer allows player prop bets on players that are on a two-way contract or a 10-day contract after Jontay Porter manipulated his play to aid bettors.
Major League Baseball also worked with the industry to put a $200 betting limit on play-specific micro bets, removing them from bets available to parlay as well, after accusations of manipulating pitches to benefit bettors fell on two Cleveland Guardians.
Bill would create list of excluded bettors
SB 325 would require a list of excluded bettors to be established, while adding in some new definitions of who would be banned from the betting industry.
Along with those already banned under current law – that includes cheaters, those accused of gambling crimes and others that could disrupt business – bettors who harass anyone involved with athletic conferences would also make the list:
“Those persons who, before, during, or after a sporting event, threaten violence or harm against any person who is involved in the sporting event, where the threat is related to sports gaming.”
Also included in that list would be anyone “whose presence in a retail sports book or whose participation in the play or operation of mobile wagering in this state is determined by the board to pose a threat to the interests of the state, to achieving the intents and purposes of this Title, or to the strict and effective regulation of sports wagering.”
Ending harassment against athletes, especially collegiate athletes, has been a popular gaming topic over the past few years. BetMGM recently announced the possibility of banning bettors who abuse athletes and others involved in games. Athletes from the Big Ten recently reached out to NCAA President Charlie Baker to urge more action on having player props restricted or eliminated to cut down on athlete abuse.
