More than 90% of sports bets in Louisiana wagered on mobile apps

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The Louisiana Gaming Control Board has published the July 2023 sports wagering revenue reports, which show that more than 90% of sports bets in Louisiana are wagered on mobile apps, while less than 10% come from inside the state’s retail casinos.

More than $122 million ($122,520,979) in sports wagers were placed online in July 2023, accounting for 91% of the more than $134 million ($134,757,491) wagered in total for the month, meaning just $12 million ($12,236,512) in sports wagers occurred in the state’s casinos.

Collectively, Louisiana sports wagering totals are up 13.5% year over year compared to last July ($134 million vs. $118 million), and up 20% YTD with more than $1.4 billion (1,428,971,601) wagered in the first seven months of 2023, compared to just under $1.2 billion ($1,190,730,091) in the same time frame of 2022.

These are numbers reported in both the “Mobile Sports Wagering Revenue Report” and “Retail Sports Wagering Revenue Report”, both prepared in a Louisiana State Police Gaming Audit.

Online vs. retail trend has continued since 2022
These statistics continue a trend since early 2022 when Louisiana allowed online sports wagering as residents are choosing the comfortability of their own phones rather than inside the state’s casino sportsbooks. Year-over-year shows the online sports wager handle (total amount bet) increased 18.6%, while the retail sports wager handle decreased 19.4%, compared to July 2022.

Through the first seven months of 2023, there has been more than $1.22 billion in sports wagers placed online, compared to $148 million in retail casino sportsbooks, translating to a 90% to 10% difference. There was an 84% to 16% difference in the first seven months of 2022. Online is up 28%; retail is down 22%.

Online sports betting has been legal in 55 of the 64 parishes in Louisiana since January 2022 with options including BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, BetRivers, PointsBet, and soon to be, ESPN Bet (formerly Barstool Sportsbook).
FanDuel (44%) and DraftKings (31%) dominate the online sports betting market share with 75% of the customers between them. Also, there has been a recent shakeup among online sports apps in Louisiana. On Aug. 8, Penn Entertainment (PENN) agreed to pay ESPN $1.5 billion over the next 10 years and rebrand its current mobile and retail sportsbooks to ESPN Bet this fall. On Aug. 14, WynnBet officially dropped Louisiana residents from its online sports app.

Sports wagering at Louisiana retail casinos and racebooks has been avilable since fall 2021. Those options include Amelia Belle, Bally’s, Boomtown Bossier City, Boomtown New Orleans, Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs, Fair Grounds New Orleans, Golden Nugget Lake Charles, Harrah’s New Orleans, Hollywood, Horseshoe Bossier City, Horseshoe Lake Charles, L’Auberge Baton Rouge, L’Auberge Lake Charles, Louisiana Downs, Margaritaville, Sam’s Town, and Treasure Chest.

Sportsbooks continue winning streak
No matter online or retail, Louisiana sportsbooks won the month of July and have been winning all of 2023.

Revenue for the first seven months of 2023 stands at more than $176 million ($176,193,333) compared to the first seven months of 2022 revenue at $129,573,711, up 36% YTD.

In the first seven months of 2023, Louisiana sportsbooks have posted a 12% hold with a total net revenue of $176,193,333 from more than $1.4 billion ($1,428,971,601) placed in sports wagers, combined online and retail.

Of the more than $134 million in sports bets in July between online and retail, sportsbooks scored a total net revenue of $17,596,675, accounting for a 13.1% hold. Online had a 12.8% hold ($15,697,788), while retail had a 15.5% hold ($1,898,887). In June, retail reported an 8.1% hold, while mobile had a 7.8% hold.

The LGCB does not publish a breakdown of sportsbook wins/losses by each casino and/or mobile app; only online vs. retail.

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