Less than a year after mobile sports books went live in Louisiana, the state is seeing revenue from mobile betting roll in. That money is going to benefit some of Louisiana's youngest residents as well as the disabled and compulsive gamblers.
"We have now generated a little over $22 million in state taxes from the program," Louisiana Gaming Control Board chairman Ronnie Johns told WWL's Tommy Tucker. "It's generating some significant revenue--nothing to sneeze at, of course."
Some of that money is dedicated, with education getting a quarter of the pie.
"Twenty-five percent of the taxes that come in are going to early childhood education," Johns said, adding
that 10 percent of the tax dollars go back to local governments, with smaller amounts dedicated to the state's disability trust and to aiding people with gambling problems. "It's going to good causes, so we feel good about where we are."
Johns says the state legislature has earmarked money to build a problem gambling facility in the New Orleans area. Johns notes that the state already has a problem gambling facility in Shreveport, but he says with the expansion of sports betting, the state needs a second facility.
"It's an issue, and like I said, we take it very, very seriously. We want people to have fun, but it has to be done responsibly."
Related
