Louisiana Sweepstakes Racketeering Bill Tests Landry

Casino

By lines

May 10, 2026

Louisiana House Bill 53 would make running a sweepstakes casino a racketeering crime. Gov. Jeff Landry now holds the bill on his desk. Landry vetoed a sweepstakes ban just one year ago.

Why Louisiana’s Approach Differs From Other State Bans

Louisiana HB 53 classifies sweepstakes casino operations as racketeering under state law. The bill passed the Louisiana House 86-11 on March 30. The Louisiana Senate approved HB 53 on April 27 by a 27-9 vote. Convicted operators face up to 50 years in prison and fines of $1 million per offense.

Most states targeting sweepstakes casinos have pursued outright bans. Indiana, Maine, and Oklahoma banned sweepstakes casino operations directly. Louisiana HB 53 takes a different path. Rep. Bryan Fontenot designed HB 53 to reinforce existing criminal tools rather than create a new prohibition. That distinction matters because Gov. Landry blocked the last sweepstakes bill on exactly those grounds.

Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed Louisiana Senate Bill 181 in 2025. Landry called SB 181 “a solution in search of a problem.” Landry argued that existing law gave regulators and prosecutors sufficient authority over illegal gambling. HB 53 is structured to answer that objection directly by using existing racketeering definitions as the enforcement mechanism.

Louisiana’s enforcement posture was already aggressive before HB 53 passed. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board issued cease-and-desist letters to more than 40 sweepstakes operators. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a formal opinion in 2025. Murrill concluded that dual-currency sweepstakes casinos constitute illegal gambling under existing state law. If Gov. Landry signs HB 53, operators already under enforcement face racketeering prosecution on top of existing penalties.