Louisiana Bills That Add Punishments For Harassing Athletes, Illegal Gambling On The Move

Louisiana lawmakers are moving two gambling bills that would tighten oversight of the state’s gaming industry with one aimed at sports bettors and the other at organized gambling crimes.

Sponsored by Sen. Mike Reese, SB 325, would write into state law that bettors who threaten violence or harm against people involved in sporting events can be placed on the Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB) exclusion list for sports wagering. Rep. Bryan Fontenot is the sponsor of HB 53 which would expand racketeering law to include additional gambling-related crimes.

Both bills have already cleared their chamber of origin and are now in the opposite chamber for committee review. SB 325 passed the Senate 38-0 and is pending in House Administration of Criminal Justice, while HB 53 passed the House 87-11 and is pending a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

Both bills would be effective Aug. 1 if signed into law.

Tightening penalties against those who threaten athletes, officials

Under SB 325, regulators would be required to add to its exclusion list anyone who, before, during or after a sporting event, threatens violence or harm against a person involved in that event, when the threat is related to sports betting. Those individuals could be ejected from retail sportsbooks and barred from participating in mobile sports wagering in the state.

The push for the legislation comes amid a nationwide push to combat harassment directed at athletes by disgruntled bettors.

“Athletes across college and professional sports are increasingly facing harassment and threats from individuals with betting interests, especially as legal sports wagers expand nationwide,” Sen. Reese stated.

He referenced an 2024 NCAA report which found that one in three high-profile athletes receives abusive messages from individuals with betting interests.

If the bill is signed into law, complaints of threats or harassment could be directly reported to the LGCB, which already maintains an exclusion list for career offenders, suspected cheaters, and individuals who disrupt gaming operations

Louisiana’s approach would put it in line with states such as Ohio and West Virginia, where regulators can already bar bettors who threaten or harass athletes from placing sports wagers.

Enhancing the focus on illegal gambling schemes

HB 53 would add gambling offenses to Louisiana’s racketeering statute, including public gambling, computer-assisted wagering, betting at cockfights, operating electronic sweepstakes devices, unlawful wagering by prohibited players, and bribery involving sports participants.

Rather than relying on traditional regulatory fines or administrative bans, the legislation takes a much more aggressive approach by effectively framing the operation of these platforms as part of a broader criminal enterprise.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed a bill last year that made sweepstakes casinos illegal, saying the LGCB already has the power to ban unlicensed operators from the state.