FanDuel held soft openings for two new brick-and-mortar sportsbooks in Louisiana on Wednesday, with ribbon cuttings scheduled for Thursday. The launches bring the total number of retail wagering venues in the state to eight.
The two sportsbooks, one in suburban New Orleans and the other near Lake Charles and the Texas border, are the first of five that FanDuel will operate in Louisiana in partnership with Boyd Gaming. The other three — Amelia Belle, Evangeline Downs, and Sam’s Town Shreveport — will have staggered openings in the coming weeks.
Louisiana voters in November 2020 legalized retail and digital sports betting in most parishes, and Caesars was the first to open its physical sportsbook, located at the state’s only land-based casino in New Orleans, on Halloween.
As of Wednesday, the other six sportsbooks to open include three operated by Penn National Gaming, two by Caesars, and one by DraftKings. Digital wagering is still a work in progress, and Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns still isn’t pointing to a specific launch date, but it appears that won’t happen until early 2022.
Thursday’s opening events
Here’s a look at FanDuel’s plans for Thursday:
Treasure Chest Casino
Where: Kenner, Louisiana
When: 12:30 p.m. local time
What: Former Saints Rickey Jackson and Pat Swilling will place ceremonial first bets.
Going forward: The book will be open from 1 p.m.-11 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and from 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
A look inside the book: The 2,200-square-foot book has three teller windows, 16 self-service kiosks, 23 video displays, and seating for 35 guests.
Delta Downs
Where: Vinton, Louisiana
When: 3 p.m. local time
What: NFL Hall of Famer Randy White will be on hand for the opening ceremony.
Going forward: The book will be open from 10 a.m.-midnight daily.
A look inside the book: The 2,000-square-foot location will have three teller windows, 30 self-service kiosks, 22 video displays, and seating for up to 40 customers.
