Friday April 10, 2015, Rep. Joseph Lopinto submitted House Bill No. 475 to the Louisiana legislature. Lopinto wants to amend the state gambling laws for more clarity. He is asking to separate fantasy sports from gambling in order to legalize this form of entertainment. Louisiana is just one of five US states that has yet to differentiate fantasy football from other, more traditional gambling. The current Louisiana laws state that any online gambling is illegal. Lopinto is seeking to change this view by getting codes into the law that separate online fantasy football activity from other wagering activities.

The bill is explicit in the request ensuring it is written so that sports betting would not be legal, but fantasy football would be. The language calls fantasy football winnings a contest or game, in which a specific award will be offered to the winner which differentiates it from sports betting where there is not a known “winning” amount.