If any sweepstakes casinos are still hanging around and operating in Louisiana, a development this week will likely make them rethink that strategy soon.
The Louisiana Senate unanimously passed House Bill 883 via a 35-0 vote on Tuesday. Having already passed the House in mid-April, HB883 will now head to the governor’s office for his approval or veto.
HB883 classifies the type of dual-currency gaming employed by sweepstakes casinos as illegal gambling — specifically “gambling by computer” — which effectively outlaws Sweeps Coin gameplay at sweeps casinos in Louisiana.
But HB883 actually does a lot more than that.
Because its passage comes with a critical impact on the effect of another bill that passed in late April. And it’s that bill that will likely send sweeps casinos running for the proverbial hills in Louisiana.
‘Gambling by computer’ and racketeering in Louisiana
On its own, HB883 adds this language to the state’s laws on gambling:
Any game, contest, or promotion that is available on the internet or accessible on a mobile phone, computer terminal, or similar access device that utilizes a dual-currency system of payment allowing the player to exchange the currency for any prize or award, cash, or cash equivalents, or any chance to win any prize or award, cash, or cash equivalents, and simulates any form of gambling constitutes gambling by computer.
The bill also targets platform providers and merchant payment processors that support sweeps casinos in Louisiana, and allows the Attorney General to take action against such entities. In terms of punishments, HB883 raises the maximum penalty for operating computer-based gambling games from a $20,000 fine and up to five years in prison to a $100,000 fine while keeping the maximum prison sentence at five years.
So, yes, HB883 is significant on its own, but its real impact becomes even clearer when paired with another bill lawmakers already passed and sent to the governor on May 5.
That earlier bill, House Bill 53, expands Louisiana’s racketeering laws to cover certain gambling-related crimes. In particular, it brings offenses classified as “gambling by computer” under the state’s broader anti-racketeering framework, potentially exposing violators to far more serious enforcement consequences.
The missing piece, however, was whether sweepstakes casinos clearly fit that definition under Louisiana law.
State officials — including Gov. Jeff Landry, Attorney General Liz Murrill, and gaming regulators — have long maintained that dual-currency sweepstakes platforms were already illegal. Louisiana regulators even issued cease-and-desist notices to numerous operators in 2025.
But until now, that argument depended largely on legal interpretation rather than language written directly into statute.
HB883 changes that.
The bill explicitly states that online games operating with a dual-currency structure designed to imitate casino gambling fall within the definition of “gambling by computer.” That language directly targets the common sweeps casino setup built around Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.
That distinction matters because HB53 already classifies “gambling by computer” offenses as racketeering-related conduct. So with HB883 passed, it now provides the clear language needed to tie sweepstakes casinos directly to Louisiana’s racketeering laws.
Forfeiting up to 300% of profits, potentially
Louisiana’s racketeering laws carry some of the harshest criminal penalties in the state.
A racketeering conviction can result in up to 50 years in prison, fines of as much as $1 million, or both. Prosecutors may also pursue additional financial penalties tied to the profits generated from the alleged illegal activity — up to three times those profits.
Ordinary gambling cases typically focus on whether an operator violated state gambling laws, with penalties generally limited to fines or prison terms tied directly to the offense. Racketeering laws, however, are designed to target broader criminal enterprises and patterns of illegal activity.
That distinction could be significant for enforcement against sweepstakes casinos. Prosecutors could potentially pursue not only the operators themselves, but also executives, affiliates, payment processors, software providers, marketers, and others connected to the industry. Authorities also have more powerful enforcement and investigative tools at their disposal if it’s a racketeering investigation.
That’s why HB883 and HB53 passing in parallel in Louisiana may represent the strongest anti-sweeps action ever taken by a legislature or regulatory agency. Cease-and-desist orders are a legitimate enforcement action, but they’re essentially a game of whack-a-mole that some operators won’t abide by anyway. Standard legislative bans are more effective.
This racketeering classification is a different level entirely.
Timeline for governor’s decision
In Louisiana, the governor generally has:
- 10 days to sign or veto a bill if the legislature is still in session
- 20 days if the legislature has adjourned before that 10-day period expires
If the governor takes no action before the deadline, the bill automatically becomes law.
Louisiana’s 2026 legislative session doesn’t end until June 1, so the 10-day deadline will be in effect as soon as Gov. Landry receives HB883. (He received HB53 on May 5 and has not yet vetoed or signed.)
Ironically, Louisiana actually did pass a bill banning sweepstakes casinos last year, Senate Bill 181. But Landry vetoed it, saying at the time the legislation was “a solution in search of a problem that is already being solved by our current system.” Soon after that veto, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board and Attorney General Liz Murrill sent cease-and-desists to nearly 40 sweeps operators, and Murrill separately released a seven-page level opinion declaring her belief that sweepstakes casinos were already illegal.
However, the presence of HB53 and HB883 indicate lawmakers believe state laws needed to more precisely reflect that illegality, so it stands to reason that Landry might not choose to veto sweeps ban bills two years in a row.
