Since August 1, 2026, Louisiana’s computer-gaming law, R.S. 14:90.3, has covered dual-currency sweepstakes games. The same law reaches anyone who knowingly promotes or endorses those games, so this page links to no sweepstakes sites.
Louisiana players can still use the state lottery, licensed casinos, sportsbooks in approved parishes, mystery boxes and trading card rips. Verify current laws in your jurisdiction before playing.
Alternatives to Sweepstakes Casinos in Louisiana
Three of the options below are licensed or run by the state, and two are collectible prize sites. The table compares what each one offers.
| Alternative | How it differs from a sweepstakes casino | What you can win or keep | Minimum age | Louisiana status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana Lottery | Lottery tickets run by the state | Cash prizes | 21 | State-run; exempt from Act 182 for sales on licensed premises |
| Licensed casinos | Casino games played in person at licensed riverboats and racetracks | Cash payouts | Set by state rules | Exempt from Act 182 when play happens on licensed premises |
| Licensed sportsbooks | Sports picks instead of casino-style games, online or in person | Cash payouts | 21 | Legal in the 55 parishes that approved them |
| Mystery box sites | Pay a set price to open a box that holds a random item | A physical item shipped to you | 18 | Varies by site; no Louisiana ruling found |
| Card rip apps | Open digital packs backed by real graded trading cards | A graded card you can keep, ship or sell back | 18 | No state limits stated by mycardrips.com |
Card crush sites are not on this list. CardCrush pays prizes in a coin that can be redeemed for cash. Act 182 covers that kind of dual-currency system.
1. The Louisiana Lottery
The Louisiana Lottery is the state-run choice for players who want a cash prize. Its website says buyers must be at least 21.
The Lottery offers an official mobile app and a players’ club called Club Lotteaux. Act 182 exempts the state lottery when sales take place on licensed premises.
2. Licensed Casinos
Louisiana licenses casino gaming at riverboats and racetracks. Act 182 exempts play on those licensed premises.
These casinos offer the games that sweepstakes sites imitate, but only in person. Check entry rules and promotions with each casino before you visit.
3. Licensed Sportsbooks
Mobile sportsbooks opened in Louisiana on January 28, 2022. Voters in 55 of the state’s 64 parishes approved sportsbooks, and players must be 21.
Players must be physically inside an approved parish to use a mobile sportsbook app. Act 182 exempts sportsbooks that run under the state’s own sports laws.
4. Mystery Box Sites
Mystery box sites sell digital boxes at a fixed price, and each box holds a random item. Mistery-boxes.com gives odds and fairness 25% of the score it assigns each site.
Two of the four sites listed below, HypeDrop and MrLoot, pay cash-outs in crypto. Mistery-boxes.com says the legal picture is “unsettled for some operators.”
| Site (mistery-boxes.com rank) | Score | US availability, per mistery-boxes.com |
|---|---|---|
| 1. HypeDrop | 8.9 | Full US availability; crypto-only cash-outs |
| 2. RillaBox | 8.3 | All states except Washington |
| 3. Jemlit | 8.0 | All states except Washington and Idaho |
| 5. MrLoot | 7.8 | Most states; $50 minimum for crypto cash-outs |
The fourth-ranked site is left off because its own Terms restrict US play. Mistery-boxes.com scores sites in six categories, and odds and fairness count for 25%.
5. Card Rip Apps
A card rip app sells sealed packs of trading cards that you open on screen. Mycardrips.com says the apps it ranks hold graded cards from PSA, BGS, SGC or CGC in a vault.
You can keep a card in the vault, have it shipped or sell it back to the app. Mycardrips.com warns that the instant buyback price is not fair market value.
| App (mycardrips.com rank) | Buyback, per mycardrips.com | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Triumph | About 102% of market value on the sales it checked | Scored 9.1; packs from $1 |
| 2. Courtyard | A flat 84.6% of its own stated market value | That equals 81% to 86% of real sold prices |
| 3. Arena Club | No published rate | A 10% Collect Safe add-on guarantees an 80% return, per mycardrips.com |
Mycardrips.com says no brand sponsors its rankings. The site is for users 18 and older and lists no state limits.
How to Pick an Alternative in Louisiana
Start with the part of sweepstakes play you enjoyed most. Each goal below points to one option.
- Choose the Louisiana Lottery if you want a state-run game with cash prizes.
- Visit a licensed casino if you want casino games with cash payouts.
- Use a licensed sportsbook app if you live in an approved parish and want to play on your phone.
- Try a card rip app with a published buyback rate if you want a physical collectible.
- Pick a highly ranked mystery box site if you want a surprise item.
What to Check Before You Buy
Run through these five checks before you spend money on any prize site. Each one protects you from a common problem.
1. The site’s own Terms list Louisiana as a served state. 2. You meet the site’s minimum age. 3. Odds or buyback rates appear before you pay. 4. The cash-out methods, minimums and identity checks work for you. 5. The Terms carry a recent date and name the company behind the site.
Why No Sweepstakes Site Accepts Louisiana
All 20 of Clovr’s partner sites list Louisiana as an excluded state. Clovr re-checked every partner’s Terms on October 18, 2026.
Because the state’s law also reaches promoters and media affiliates, this page carries no casino links, bonus offers or rankings. Readers outside Louisiana can use Clovr’s state-by-state tracker.
Louisiana’s Sweepstakes Ban Under Act 182
Governor Jeff Landry signed HB 883 on May 15, 2026, and it became Act 182. It amends R.S. 14:90.3, the state’s computer-gaming statute, and took effect on August 1, 2026.
What Act 182 Covers
The act covers games with “a dual-currency system of payment allowing the player to exchange the currency for any prize.” That language describes the Gold Coin and Sweeps Coin model, which Clovr’s guide to Sweeps Coins explains.
Who Act 182 Reaches
The law does not stop at operators. Subsection F reaches any “promoter, endorser, media affiliate, or any other person” who knowingly supports or facilitates the games.
Payment processors may not knowingly handle related transactions. Each promotion of an illegal online game in Louisiana counts as a separate violation.
Penalties Under Act 182
The table lists the main penalties. Clovr found no published case under the new law as of October 18, 2026.
| Conduct | Maximum fine | Maximum prison term |
|---|---|---|
| Operating an illegal online game | $100,000, raised from $20,000 | Five years |
| Knowingly supporting or facilitating it, including promoting | $20,000 | Five years |
The penalties for supporting or facilitating these games double when someone under 21 is involved. That rule raises the risk for any promoter whose audience includes younger readers.
Act 48 and Racketeering
Governor Landry also signed HB 53 on May 11, 2026, which became Act 48. It adds R.S. 14:90.3 offenses to the list of crimes that can support a racketeering charge.
What It Means for Players
Act 182’s penalties target people who operate or support the games. Clovr found no Louisiana case charging a player. Coins left at a site that excludes Louisiana are governed by that site’s own Terms.
Enforcement in Louisiana
The Attorney General must keep a public list of the cease-and-desist notices sent under Act 182. Clovr could not find that list online as of October 18, 2026.
Before the new law, the Gaming Control Board sent cease-and-desist letters to online sweepstakes companies. In 2025, Attorney General Liz Murrill warned that the governor’s veto of SB 181 did not make these sites legal.
Louisiana Sweepstakes Timeline
These dates trace Louisiana’s path to the ban. Each comes from a bill record, a state notice or operator Terms, unless marked as local news.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 28, 2022 | Mobile sportsbooks open in approved parishes, per local news. |
| June 2025 | The Attorney General warns that online sweepstakes sites remain illegal after the SB 181 veto. |
| May 11, 2026 | Governor Landry signs HB 53, which becomes Act 48. |
| May 15, 2026 | Governor Landry signs HB 883, which becomes Act 182. |
| August 1, 2026 | Both acts take effect. |
| October 18, 2026 | All 20 Clovr partner sites exclude Louisiana. |
What Remains Legal in Louisiana
Act 182 lists the state-licensed activities it exempts. The table summarizes them.
| Activity | Status in Louisiana | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana Lottery | State-run; exempt for sales on licensed premises | 21 |
| Riverboat casinos and racetracks | Licensed; exempt when play happens on the premises | Set by state rules |
| Sportsbooks, including mobile apps | Legal in 55 approved parishes; exempt under the state’s sports chapters | 21 |
| Online casinos and sweepstakes casinos | Not available | Not applicable |
The table follows the exemptions written into Act 182. Clovr’s guide to sweepstakes legality explains how other states handle these sites.
Taxes on Prizes in Louisiana
Louisiana taxes individual income at a flat 3% for tax periods starting on or after January 1, 2025. The Department of Revenue confirmed the rate in a March 7, 2025 bulletin.
- Starting with 2026, a payer generally files Form 1099-MISC once your prizes from it reach $2,000 in a year.
- From 2026, federal rules cap deductible losses from games of chance at 90%, and never above the prize income you report.
- Keep a record of the date and value of every prize you redeemed before August 1, 2026.
Clovr does not give tax advice. Ask a tax professional how to report prizes on your return.
Responsible Gaming Resources in Louisiana
The Louisiana Problem Gamblers Helpline is 877-770-STOP (7867), and you can call or text it 24 hours a day. The Louisiana Department of Health says treatment is free for residents.
Live chat is available at helpforgambling.org. Clovr’s responsible gaming page covers other tools, such as spending limits.
Sources for This Louisiana Guide
Clovr checked the sources below from October 12 to October 18, 2026. Trackers and other review sites were used only as leads.
- The HB 883 (Act 182) and HB 53 (Act 48) bill records and the Act 182 text.
- The Louisiana Attorney General’s alert on illegal online casinos.
- Revenue Information Bulletin 25-012, plus the Louisiana Lottery and Department of Health websites.
- Local news on the 2022 sportsbook launch, used as reported.
- Each operator’s Terms, and the pages of mistery-boxes.com, mycardrips.com and crush-cards.com.
Sweepstakes Casinos in Louisiana FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
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Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Louisiana?
No. Sweepstakes casinos are illegal and not legally accessible in Louisiana. The prohibition has been enforced since mid-2025.
Acts 182 and 48 took effect on August 1, 2026, writing the ban explicitly into Louisiana criminal statute.
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Why are sweepstakes casinos illegal if SB 181 was vetoed?
The veto rejected one legislative bill but did not affect the underlying prohibition. The 2025 attorney general opinion determined that existing statutes already covered dual-currency platforms.
The 2026 laws converted that interpretation into explicit statutory language.
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What are the penalties under Act 182?
Operators offering gambling by computer as a business face fines up to $100,000, raised from $20,000, plus up to five years imprisonment.
Facilitators such as platform providers, payment processors, and media affiliates face a separate $20,000 penalty. That doubles to $40,000 where the violation involves a person under 21.
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Why does the racketeering classification matter?
Act 48 shifts enforcement from standard gambling charges to organized crime law. Standard gambling offenses carry fines and relatively short sentences.
Racketeering exposure reaches $1 million and 50 years at hard labor, with forfeiture of up to three times the profits generated.
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Which sweepstakes casinos still accept Louisiana players?
None operate legally in Louisiana. Regulators required operators to withdraw in 2025 and most major platforms exited then.
Any platform still accepting Louisiana residents is operating unlawfully, without regulatory oversight, and outside consumer protection mechanisms.
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Can Louisiana residents redeem existing Sweeps Coins?
No. Redemptions by Louisiana residents are unlawful. Held balances carry forfeiture risk and should not be relied upon.
Winnings redeemed before the prohibition remain reportable income and should be declared regardless of current redemption availability.
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Do Louisiana players face criminal charges for playing?
Individual players have not been the enforcement target. Enforcement actions and statutory penalties are directed at operators and those who support them.
The practical risk to players is using an unregulated service with no consumer protections and no recourse if a balance is withheld.
Related Reading
These Clovr guides cover the law and the states around Louisiana.
- The Texas sweepstakes guide covers Louisiana’s neighbor to the west.
- Clovr’s Mississippi sweepstakes guide covers Louisiana’s neighbor to the east.
- The Arkansas sweepstakes guide covers Louisiana’s neighbor to the north.
Clovr may earn a commission when you sign up through affiliate links on this page. This never affects our reviews, which stay independent and unbiased.
Sweepstakes play should stay fun. If you or someone you know needs support, visit the National Council on Problem Gambling at ncpgambling.org or call 1-800-GAMBLER.
