In the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers in Louisiana have pre-filed a bill aimed at prohibiting dual-currency gaming systems typically used in online sweepstakes casinos. This move follows the 2025 veto of Senate Bill 181 by Governor Jeff Landry and a formal opinion from Attorney General Liz Murrill declaring such sweepstakes platforms illegal under state law.
The proposed legislation seeks to reinforce existing enforcement efforts against these gaming models that employ virtual currencies like Gold Coins and Sweep Coins to simulate gambling activities.
The pre-filing continues a regulatory push after SB181 had passed both chambers of the Louisiana legislature in 2025, banning online games or promotions using dual-currency mechanisms that resemble casino games, lotteries, or sports betting with cash prizes or equivalents
Governor Landry vetoed SB181, stating that the Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB) already holds sufficient authority and criticized the bill's broad wording. Despite the veto, enforcement intensified with Murrill's July 2, 2025 opinion confirming illegal status for dual-currency sweepstakes and empowering coordinated actions by the attorney general's office, LGCB, and Louisiana State Police gaming division.
Since then, operators like Bovada have exited the Louisiana market following cease-and-desist letters, while the LGCB maintains a public list of targeted offshore and illegal sweepstakes companies. The new bill's exact details, sponsors, and filing date remain unconfirmed as of March 2, 2026, but the initiative fits the pattern of ongoing state efforts to regulate sweepstakes gambling. Louisiana law currently prohibits online casinos using real money, and sweepstakes operators have exploited a legal gray area using dual-currency features, which the attorney general classified as illegal "gambling by computer."
The proposed legislation and enforcement activities have direct implications for the Louisiana iGaming and sweepstakes sectors, restricting access for residents to games involving redeemable virtual currencies and augmenting protections for consumers.
State agencies plan continued cease-and-desist orders, prosecutions, and asset seizures to uphold existing statutes. Operator compliance and legislative outcomes in 2026 will determine whether enforcement alone suffices or if further legal measures become necessary to close loopholes exploited by online sweepstakes platforms.
