With Super Bowl Looming, Louisiana ‘Getting Close’ to Online Sports Betting Launch The legal launch of mobile sports betting in Louisiana is drawing nearer and nearer, but there are no guarantees it will happen before the Super Bowl. Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns told Covers on Wednesday that while "we are getting close" to the rollout of online sportsbooks in the southern state, he couldn’t give a definitive date for when that will happen. Johns said the gaming division of the state police is "working overtime" on any compliance and suitability issues with vendors. Regulators are also trying to make sure "geofencing" technology needed to screen the location of bettors is functioning properly before online sports wagering goes live. "We want to roll it out [as] quickly as possible but we have to do it the right way and make absolutely sure that everything is in working order, not just for the gaming board but for the customer as well," Johns added in an email. "The last thing we want is our customer base to have a bad experience." Johns said he hopes to have everything up and running before the Super Bowl. However, the chairman added there is no guarantee they can meet that deadline. Waiting is the hardest part Retail sports betting has already begun at several casinos in Louisiana, which follows voters in 55 of the state’s 64 parishes (similar to counties) voting in favor of allowing such wagering back in November 2020. Louisiana lawmakers then passed legislation last year that permits the gaming control board to issue up to 20 licenses for in-person and online sportsbooks. The Louisiana Lottery Corp. was authorized as well to take sports wagers via website, mobile app, and retail kiosks. But getting mobile sports betting live across the state is taking a bit more time and effort.