The Louisiana legislature officially wants to make it possible for horse race wagering to be a little more like football betting, even if one company warns it may drive another nail into the coffin of one of the United States' oldest tracks.
House Bill 547, authorizing fixed-odds wagering on horse racing in the Pelican State, passed both the state’s House of Representatives and Senate earlier this week.
The bill was approved at the urging of some prominent people in Louisiana's horse racing industry, such as former NFL quarterback and thoroughbred racehorse owner Jake Delhomme.
In making their case, those people pointed to the growth of fixed-odds betting on stick-and-ball sports.
“Fixed-odds betting is already gaining traction in other states, [and] allows a wager to be locked in at the posted odds, much like sports betting,” said Republican Rep. Chad Boyer, the bill’s sponsor, during a committee meeting on May 12. “By adopting this model, we not only offer a more competitive product to racing fans, but we also create a new revenue stream that will directly support our local racing associations through a dedicated purse supplemental fund.”
Key takeaways
- Louisiana lawmakers have now approved a bill authorizing fixed-odds betting on horse racing and sent it to the governor.
- The law is intended to help Louisiana's horse racing industry and attract wagering dollars from stick-and-ball sports bettors.
- However, Churchill Downs reportedly said the bill “further negatively impacts” the competitiveness of a major track in the state, the New Orleans-based Fair Grounds.
On Tuesday, lawmakers sent H.B. 547 to Gov. Jeff Landry for his signature. Whether Landry signs it into law remains to be seen, but the proposal received strong support in the legislature's two chambers, clearing the House by 98-0 on Monday and the Senate by 36-1 on Sunday.
H.B. 547 would allow Louisiana's online sportsbooks, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, to offer fixed-odds for horse racing, similar to what they already do with other sports.
The race for the revenues
The bill also creates the “Fixed Odds Horse Wagering Purse Supplement Fund,” where 5% of the net proceeds from fixed-odds wagering will go. That revenue will then be spent on prize money for races and breeding efforts.
“We're just trying to get our product – because we have an unbelievable product – on a national stage,” Delhomme said last month. “It's not an expansion of gaming, it's just joining in on what's going on throughout the United States, and to get our product to where we can generate more revenue to come back to the state."
If and/or when Landry signs H.B. 547 into law, it will make Louisiana the fourth state to have legalized fixed-odds betting on horse racing. New Jersey, Colorado, and, most recently, West Virginia are the other three.
If you want to know what former NFL QB Jake Delhomme is up to, the answer is winning horse races and testifying (successfully!) in support of fixed-odds wagering in Louisiana:
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) May 27, 2025
With Sports Betting in Mind, Fixed-Odds Horse Racing Gains Momentumhttps://t.co/OybJK3qcm6 @Covers
Louisiana legalized in-person and online sports betting in 2021. Pari-mutuel bets on horse racing are also legal, but the pooled model of wagering results in constant odds shifts that can frustrate bettors. For example, someone who bets a horse at 5/1 may find they're getting paid out at 5/2 or shorter if their horse wins.
Still, how much more money fixed-odds bring to Louisiana was something the state's Legislative Fiscal Office said it was “unable to quantify … as the magnitude of fixed-odds wagering on horse racing in the state is speculative and will largely depend on the extent to which it is adopted by racetracks, sports books, and gambling apps.”
The legislation notes online sportsbooks could accept fixed-odds bets on horse races outside the state in accordance with the federal Interstate Horseracing Act. However, they may only do so for races run in-state after obtaining the consent of the track and the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association.
So unfair
One track that may be loath to consent to fixed-odds wagering is the Churchill Downs Inc.-owned Fair Grounds. The track is home to several big races, like the Louisiana Derby, where Kentucky Derby contenders can emerge.
Churchill Downs, though, has made ominous noises about Fair Grounds' viability following a state Supreme Court decision that undid the legal basis for slot-like historical horse racing (HHR) machines.
A letter CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen recently sent to the Louisiana State Racing Commission (LSRC), obtained by The Paulick Report, warned the passage of H.B. 547 and video poker legislation "further negatively impacts" Fair Grounds' competitiveness.
“House Bill 547 will shift wagering handle from current brick and mortar racetracks, OTBs, and advanced deposit wagering platforms, all of which provide revenues to track operators and local horsemen groups, to out-of-state bookmaking operators,” Carstanjen wrote.
Churchill Downs is now preparing to voluntarily surrender its Fair Grounds racing license, as well as give up its permits for slots and video poker.
"Closing one of the nation's oldest racetracks, and the most important track in Louisiana, will be a devasting blow to Louisiana's equine industry and the New Orleans economy," Carstanjen wrote. "It will also have an immediate detrimental impact on the livelihoods of the hundreds of employees, local vendors, and community surrounding the Fair Grounds. However, the inaction of the legislature and others in a position to save this racetrack have forced us into the current situation."
