TLDR Louisiana’s House Bill 53 would classify illegal gambling operations, including sweepstakes casinos, as racketeering crimes with penalties up to 50 years in prison and $1 million in fines The bill passed the House 86–11 and the Senate 27–9, and now awaits Governor Jeff Landry’s decision Governor Landry vetoed a similar anti-sweepstakes bill in 2025, calling it “a solution in search of a problem” A second bill, House Bill 883, targets online sweepstakes gaming specifically and passed the House 99–0 HB 883 would fine anyone knowingly facilitating illegal sweepstakes games up to $40,000 and impose up to five years in prison per violation
Louisiana is moving closer to treating illegal gambling as a serious felony after a racketeering bill cleared both chambers of the state legislature and landed on the governor’s desk.
House Bill 53, introduced by Rep. Bryan Fontenot, would fold several gambling offenses into Louisiana’s existing racketeering statute. That means running sweepstakes casinos, public gambling, computer-based betting, and even bribery of sports participants could all be prosecuted as racketeering crimes.
The penalties are steep. Offenders could face up to 50 years in prison at hard labor and fines as high as $1 million.
In cases where the racketeering activity exceeds $10,000 in value, at least five years of any sentence must be served without probation, parole, or suspension.
The bill passed the House on March 30 with an 86–11 vote. The Senate followed on April 27, approving it 27–9.
Because no amendments were added in either chamber, the bill moved quickly through enrollment. The House Speaker signed it on April 29 and the Senate President on May 4.
Governor Jeff Landry now has to decide whether to sign it into law or veto it.
Landry Vetoed a Similar Bill Last Year
That decision is far