Louisiana lawmakers are starting the 2026 session with two new gambling bills that could further reshape the state’s market. One proposal, HB 883, targets the dual-currency model used by many sweepstakes casinos. The other, SB 354, would ban micro-bets and standard proposition bets in sports wagering. Both bills were prefiled before the session begins on March 9, 2026, showing that Louisiana is not backing away from gambling enforcement after last year’s fights over sweepstakes sites.
Taken together, the bills show a broader push. Louisiana is not just looking at sweepstakes casinos anymore. Lawmakers are also questioning fast, in-play sports bets and smaller wager types that have become popular in legal sportsbooks. Neither bill is law yet, but both could have a major effect if they move forward this session.
HB 883 Takes Aim at the Dual-Currency Sweepstakes Model
The bill most important to sweepstakes casinos is HB 883, filed by Rep. Laurie Schlegel. The proposal would expand Louisiana’s definition of illegal gambling by computer to include online games or contests that use a dual-currency payment system and simulate any form of gambling.
That matters because many sweepstakes casinos rely on two kinds of digital currency. One is usually for free or social play, while the other can be redeemed for cash, prizes, or cash equivalents. Regulators in several states have argued that this redeemable layer makes sweepstakes casinos look too much like real gambling. HB 883 appears designed to target that sweeps model directly, even though the bill does not focus on the word “sweepstakes” itself.
The bill would also increase penalties. According to the bill digest, offering gambling by computer could carry a fine of up to $100,000 and up to five years in prison. It also reaches beyond operators by restricting support from platform providers and financial transaction providers that help these businesses run.
Another major part of HB 883 is enforcement. The bill would allow the Louisiana Attorney General to send cease-and-desist notices, keep a public list of notices on the attorney general’s website, and ask courts for restraining orders or injunctions. In simple terms, the bill is built to give the state faster and stronger tools to pressure online gambling sites to leave Louisiana.
SB 354 Would Ban Micro-Bets and Proposition Bets
The second bill, SB 354, comes from Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews and focuses on sports betting rather than sweepstakes casinos. It would remove proposition bets from the definition of permitted sports wagers in Louisiana and would also ban sports micro-bets.
The bill defines a proposition bet as a side wager on part of a sports event that does not concern the final outcome. A micro-bet is defined more narrowly as a live prop bet tied to a single play or action during a game. That could include wagers on things like the next pitch, the next possession, or the next play result.
If passed, SB 354 would make both types of bets illegal for operators in Louisiana starting August 1, 2026. Supporters may argue this protects game integrity and reduces the risk tied to ultra-fast betting markets. Critics may say it cuts off a growing part of the legal sportsbook business.
What These Bills Say About Louisiana’s Bigger Strategy
These two bills point in the same direction: Louisiana wants tighter control over newer forms of gambling. Last year, the state already showed it was willing to challenge sweepstakes casinos, even after an anti-sweepstakes measure was vetoed. Since then, state officials have kept signaling that they believe many dual-currency gaming sites violate Louisiana law.
HB 883 would turn that view into clearer statutory language and add stronger enforcement tools. SB 354, meanwhile, shows lawmakers are also willing to limit betting products that are already part of the regulated sports wagering market.
For players, nothing changes immediately. These are still proposed bills, and both must move through committee hearings, floor votes, and final approval. But if they pass, Louisiana could become one of the tougher states in the country on both sweepstakes casinos and fast-moving sports betting markets.