Which Forms of Gambling Are Legal in Louisiana?
Louisiana is known across the country for its great food, music and festivals. Louisiana is also known for its gambling. People come from across the South to enjoy the food in casino restaurants and to gamble on riverboats. While the Mississippi Gulf Coast has numerous casinos, almost all forms of gambling are illegal in neighboring Texas and Arkansas. This article provides a brief summary of gambling activities that are legal in Louisiana and those that are not. Gambling in Louisiana is defined as "the intentional conducting, or directly assisting in the conducting, as a business of any game, context, lottery, or contrivance whereby a person risks the loss of anything of value in order to realize a profit." LEGAL GAMBLING IN LOUISIANA Age restrictions: To participate in the state lottery or horse track betting you must be 18 years old. To gamble in a casino or on a video poker machine, you must be 21. Casinos and Racetracks: Riverboat casinos are legal in Louisiana. &q