The Fair Grounds will be allowed to expand beyond horse betting after City Council voted Thursday to allow it to create a sports book, ending a prohibition on televised sports betting at the race track that will bring it in line with other Louisiana casinos.
In 2005, the council allowed Fair Grounds owner Churchill Downs, Inc. to add slot machines in addition to the bets on horse racing at the Gentilly track, but with conditions. Among them was a prohibition on taking wagers on televised sports other than horse racing.
A 2020 state law allowed parishes to decide whether to allow sports betting, and most – including Orleans, by a wide margin – passed referendums making it legal. The move has led to sport betting expansions at brick-and-mortar casinos and also the fast-growing market for mobile betting apps.
