Louisiana lawmakers are weighing new restrictions on sports betting that target both certain types of bets and behavior from bettors toward athletes. Two proposals, Senate Bill 354 and Senate Bill 325 have been introduced. Each bill would have major changes to the Louisiana sports betting landscape, with SB 354 targeting prop bets and SB 325 focusing on the behavior of bettors towards athletes and coaches.
Below is a more in-depth breakdown of both SB 354 and SB 325.
Introduced by Senator Katrina Jackson-Andrews, the bill aims to ban most prop bets, including micro bets that target minor outcomes in games, such as the result of a given pitch in baseball.
This decision to target micro-bets comes following an MLB scandal where two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were alleged to have manipulated outcomes during several games.
Micro-bets can affect game integrity because they’re so easy to manipulate, since doing so wouldn’t impact the final result of a game.
This bill goes hand-in-hand with SB 325, since a significant portion of verbal abuse taken by athletes from sports bettors results from prop bets. By prohibiting these types of wagers, Sen. Jackson-Andrews aims to create a safer environment for all parties involved.
This bill was brought forth by Senator Mike Reese, aiming to require sports betting operators to exclude users who harass anyone involved in a sporting event. This includes athletes, coaches, and referees.
