Louisiana is pushing two sweepstakes casino bills at the same time, and one of them could classify running a sweepstakes platform as a racketeering offense, with prison sentences of up to 50 years. Here’s what that means for players in the state.

Most states pushing sweepstakes bans right now are going after operators with fines and shutdowns. Louisiana is going further. The Louisiana sweepstakes casino ban 2026 push involves two separate bills moving through the legislature at the same time, each targeting the industry in a different way. One defines the model as illegal gambling. The other treats it as organized crime. Neither has been signed into law yet, but both are advancing fast. If you are a Louisiana player with an active balance, this article is for you.

Two Bills, Two Different Kinds of Threat

The first bill, HB 883 sweepstakes, takes the direct route. It rewrites Louisiana’s definition of illegal gambling to explicitly include the dual-currency model your sweepstakes casino uses. If you earn Sweeps Coins through daily logins or promotions and can redeem them for cash, HB 883 would make that platform illegal in Louisiana under state law. Operators, payment processors, and anyone who knowingly supports these platforms would face penalties: up to $40,000 in fines and up to 5 years in prison. Each wager counts as a separate violation.

The second bill, Louisiana HB 53 racketeering, is where the stakes get serious. It would add operating a sweepstakes platform to Louisiana’s RICO statute, the same legal framework used to prosecute organized crime. Under those rules, fines could reach $1 million, and prison sentences could stretch to 50 years. Louisiana’s Chief Deputy AG testified in support, calling HB 53 harder-line than almost any anti-gambling law in the country. This is not standard regulatory language. It is a criminal enterprise designation.

Where the Bills Are Right Now

Both bills have already cleared the Louisiana House. HB 883 passed 99-0 on April 14 and was received in the Senate the following day. On April 20, it was read a second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary B, where it now awaits a hearing. HB 53 passed the House 86-11 in late March, cleared the Senate Judiciary C Committee, and is now under Legislative Bureau review before advancing to a full Senate floor vote.

Louisiana’s legislative session ends June 1. Both bills need to clear the full Senate and land on Governor Jeff Landry’s desk before then. Given the vote tallies so far, neither bill has faced any meaningful opposition at any stage.

The Governor Could Veto Again: Here’s Why It’s Complicated

Here is the catch. Landry vetoed Louisiana’s 2025 sweepstakes ban, arguing the state already had the tools to shut down illegal operators. He then backed that position by sending cease-and-desist letters to more than 40 operators. He could make the same call on HB 883, using the same reasoning.

HB 53 is harder for him to dismiss. Adding sweeps to the RICO statute is not about creating a new ban. It is about raising the criminal consequences for something Landry has already said is illegal under existing law. That is a different argument entirely. Whether he signs or vetoes either bill is genuinely unclear.

If You Are in Louisiana, Here Is the Reality

Louisiana is already one of the most restrictive states for sweepstakes casinos in the country, and that is before these bills pass. After Landry’s 2025 veto, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board and AG’s office sent cease-and-desist letters to more than 40 operators. For anyone still asking whether sweepstakes casinos are legal in Louisiana, AG Liz Murrill has already answered that with a formal legal opinion: they are not.

In response, most major platforms, including Chumba Casino, Stake.us, McLuck, High 5, Pulsz, and Modo, have already exited Louisiana or shut down Sweeps Coin gameplay there. 

If you are in Louisiana and still accessing a sweepstakes platform, that operator is taking on real legal risk right now, before either bill even passes. Under HB 53, if signed, operators could face RICO charges. No legitimate platform will stay once that is on the table.

If you have an active Sweeps Coin balance on any platform still accessible in Louisiana, redeem it now. Do not wait for the June 1 session deadline, as some platforms may restrict access well before then. Make sure your account is KYC-verified before you try, as most platforms require identity confirmation before processing a payout.

What Comes Next

Louisiana is heading in one direction, and it is not player-friendly. We will keep tracking both bills as the June 1 deadline approaches. If you are in a state where sweepstakes casinos are still accessible, our full guide covers the top platforms currently available in your state.