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Louisiana's Sweepstakes Casino Ban Is Now in Effect: Acts 182 and 48 Explained
Louisiana's sweepstakes casino ban took effect August 1, 2026. What Act 182 (HB 883) and Act 48 (HB 53) do, the penalties, and what players should know.
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- Rae Clip
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- 4 min read
Sweepstakes casinos are now illegal in Louisiana. Two separate laws took effect on August 1, 2026: Act No. 182 (HB 883), the substantive ban, and Act No. 48 (HB 53), which adds racketeering exposure on top of it. Neither act contains its own effective-date section, so both took effect on the state constitution's default date of August 1.
Much of the coverage has framed this as a single bill. It is not. Here is what each law actually does.
Act 182 (HB 883): The Dual-Currency Ban
Act 182, signed by Governor Landry on May 15, 2026, amends the state's "gambling by computer" statute, R.S. 14:90.3. Under the amended law, any internet or mobile game, contest, or promotion that uses a dual-currency system of payment, allows the exchange of that currency for a prize, award, cash, or cash equivalent (or a chance to win one), and simulates any form of gambling now constitutes gambling by computer.
That is the standard sweepstakes casino model: Gold Coins for play, Sweeps Coins that can be redeemed for cash prizes.
Penalties Under Act 182
The enrolled text sets out tiered penalties:
- Players: whoever commits gambling by computer faces a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.
- Operators: the fine rises from $20,000 to $100,000, or imprisonment with or without hard labor for up to five years, or both.
- Promoters, endorsers, and media affiliates: anyone who "knowingly supports or facilitates the operation, conduct, or promotion of gambling by computer" - including platform providers, geolocation providers, gaming content suppliers, promoters, endorsers, and media affiliates - faces a fine of up to $20,000, up to five years with or without hard labor, or both. Financial penalties double if the conduct involves a person under 21.
Two multipliers make these numbers heavier than they look. Each wager and each individual promotion counts as a separate violation, and the law mandates forfeiture of profits and gross receipts.
New Enforcement Tools
Act 182 also enacts R.S. 27:19.1 and 27:19.2. The attorney general or the Gaming Control Board chairman can now issue 10-day cease-and-desist notices and maintain a public blacklist of operators, platform providers, and merchant payment processors. Courts can issue ex parte injunctions and website takedown orders, with civil fines of $50,000 for a first violation and $100,000 for each subsequent violation, per day.
There are carve-outs for federally insured financial institutions, their subsidiaries and affiliates, and payment card networks.
Act 48 (HB 53): Racketeering Exposure
Act 48 is short but consequential. It adds seven offenses - six gambling offenses plus bribery of sports participants (R.S. 14:118.1) - to Louisiana's racketeering statute as predicate offenses, including R.S. 14:90.3 (gambling by computer) and R.S. 14:90.7 (gambling by electronic sweepstakes device).
In plain terms: a pattern of sweepstakes casino activity in Louisiana can now be prosecuted under the state's RICO-style racketeering law, with the enhanced penalties and asset forfeiture that framework carries. That is aimed at operators and the businesses supporting them, not at individual players.
What This Means for Louisiana Players Right Now
Playing on a dual-currency sweepstakes casino from Louisiana is now a crime with player-level penalties, even if enforcement historically focuses on operators. Expect the remaining platforms to geoblock the state quickly - the industry has been retreating for months, with VGW alone now restricting play in 16 US jurisdictions, up from five at the end of 2024.
If you still hold a Sweeps Coins balance with any operator serving Louisiana, redeem it as soon as you meet the platform's redemption requirements. Operators that exit typically set short windows, and once access is cut, options narrow fast. Watch the email address on your account for exit notices and deadlines, and screenshot your balance in case of a dispute.
Louisiana joins a growing list of states that have banned dual-currency sweepstakes casinos by statute. We track every state's status in our state-by-state ban guide and ongoing shutdowns in our closures tracker.
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