John Guidroz

Calcasieu Parish voters approved the legalization of sports betting parishwide during Tuesday’s election. The outcome sets the stage for the state Legislature to set a tax rate and regulatory framework that the Louisiana Gaming Control Board would oversee.

According to unofficial results from the Louisiana Secretary of State, the proposal received 22,094 “yes” votes, or 66 percent, and 11,272 “no” votes, or 34 percent. The ballot item is statewide, however, it only moves forward in parishes with a majority “yes” vote. Results for early or absentee ballots were not available as of press time Wednesday morning.

Proponents of legalizing sports betting said it is necessary to generate gaming tax revenue for Louisiana. Supporters also said it would provide regulation for the sports betting industry, instead of the illegal sports betting residents currently participate in.

Supporters of legalizing sports betting also stated it would make Louisiana more competitive with states that already have legalized it, including Mississippi and Arkansas. Local officials also called it a critical piece of long-term recovery for the gaming, hospitality and tourism industries that were impacted by COVID-19 shutdowns, as well as Hurricanes Laura and Delta.

A study by Louisiana Economic Development mentioned the state is losing roughly $330 million in gaming revenue to Mississippi and Arkansas.Sports betting

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