Louisiana Bill Making Illegal Gambling a Racketeering Felony Heads to Governor’s Desk
Louisiana lawmakers have cleared legislation that would make running sweepstakes casinos and other illegal gambling operations a racketeering crime carrying penalties of up to 50 years in prison.
The measure, House Bill 53 from Rep. Bryan Fontenot, passed the House on March 30 by a vote of 86–11 and won Senate approval on April 27 with a 27–9 margin.
Because the bill moved through both chambers without amendments, it was quickly enrolled and signed by the House Speaker on April 29 and the Senate President on May 4. The legislation now heads to Governor Jeff Landry, who must decide whether to sign it into law or issue a veto.
50 years for illegal gambling violators
House Bill 53 would reshape Louisiana’s gambling laws by folding several existing offences into the state’s racketeering statute. Activities such as gambling in public, betting through computers or sweepstakes devices, unlawful wagering by prohibited players, and even bribery of sports participants would all be treated as racketeering crimes.
Convictions under the measure carry far tougher penalties than typical gambling violations elsewhere in the country.
Offenders could face fines of up to $1 million and prison terms of as long as 50 years at hard labor. In cases where the racketeering activity exceeds $10,000 in value, the law requires that at least five years of any sentence be served without probation, parole, or suspension.
Online sweeps ban bill was vetoed last year
Louisiana’s legislature had already tried to clamp down on sweepstakes gaming in 2025, but Governor Jeff Landry blocked the measure once it reached his desk. He argued that enforcement powers were already in place through the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, state police, and the Attorney General’s Office.
“As such, this bill is a solution in search of a problem that is already being solved by our current system, and some of the language in this bill is overly broad and could be interpreted in an adverse manner which may harm or impede our current enforcement actions taken against these bad actors,” Landry wrote in his veto statement last June.
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Soon after that decision, the Gaming Control Board confirmed it had issued cease‑and‑desist orders to sweepstakes operators and offshore gambling platforms. Still, push for tougher penalties continued.
Chief Deputy Attorney General Larry Frieman backed HB 53 during committee hearings, saying Louisiana needs a stronger stance against illegal gambling. Whether that support will be enough to persuade Landry to sign the new racketeering bill remains uncertain.
Another anti-sweeps bill still in motion
Alongside HB 53, lawmakers are also advancing House Bill 883, a measure aimed directly at online sweepstakes gaming. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Laurie Schlegel, cleared the House unanimously on April 14 with a 99–0 vote and later won favorable reporting from the Senate Judiciary B Committee on April 28.
Unlike HB 53, which treats illegal gambling as racketeering, HB 883 focuses on dual‑currency sweepstakes that mimic gambling. It broadens the definition of illegal gambling to cover not only operators but also those who provide platforms, content, geolocation services, promotions, or media support.
Anyone knowingly facilitating these games could face fines of up to $40,000 and prison terms of as long as five years, with each wager counted as a separate violation.
The proposal also gives Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office authority to seek injunctions against violators. HB 883 now sits with the Senate Legislative Bureau, the same body that approved HB 53 in late April, keeping the pressure on sweepstakes operators as the legislative session continues.
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Source: SBC Americas
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