Provides for the purchase of certain lottery tickets through the internet (OR INCREASE SD RV See Note)
Summary
HB 228 would authorize the purchase of certain Louisiana lottery tickets over the internet and create a new statutory framework for what the bill calls “I lottery.” It defines online lottery purchases and “I lottery gross revenues,” and it directs the Louisiana Lottery Corporation’s board to adopt rules under the Administrative Procedure Act to implement, administer, and regulate online sales. Those rules must include age-verification measures to prevent purchases by persons under 21 and location-verification measures to ensure purchases are made only by individuals physically located in Louisiana.
The bill also amends Louisiana’s criminal gambling statutes to make clear that internet lottery purchases authorized by the lottery law are not considered gambling or gambling by computer for purposes of those offenses. In addition, it updates the revenue-transfer provisions so that the Lottery Corporation must remit not less than 25% of gross revenues and online lottery gross revenues to the state treasury after the first year of operation, thereby extending the existing revenue-sharing structure to internet sales.
In practical terms, the bill would expand the legal means of buying lottery tickets while preserving state control over the games, player eligibility, and geographic access. It would affect the Louisiana Lottery Corporation, lottery retailers and players, and the state treasury by creating a new online sales channel and by tying that channel to the same public-revenue framework used for traditional lottery sales. The Louisiana State Law Institute is also authorized to renumber definitions for alphabetical order.
The available context shows no committee transcript and no recorded votes, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be framed as a modernization and convenience bill, with safeguards focused on age and in-state location verification. The main points of potential contention are likely to be whether online lottery sales should be expanded at all, whether the verification requirements are sufficient to prevent underage or out-of-state play, and whether internet sales could affect existing retail lottery operations or gambling policy concerns.
Impact
HB 228 would amend Louisiana law to expressly permit internet-based lottery ticket purchases and to exempt those purchases from the state’s gambling and gambling-by-computer criminal provisions. It would also require the Louisiana Lottery Corporation to promulgate rules for online sales, including age and location verification, and would extend the lottery revenue-transfer requirement to include online lottery gross revenues, affecting the Lottery Proceeds Fund and the state treasury.
Sentiment
No committee discussion or vote history is provided, so there is no direct record of legislative sentiment in the available materials. The bill’s text suggests a generally supportive, pro-expansion approach to lottery access, paired with regulatory safeguards intended to address age, location, and revenue concerns.
Contention
The likely areas of contention are the legalization of internet lottery sales itself, the adequacy of age- and geolocation-verification systems, and the possible impact on existing gambling policy and brick-and-mortar lottery sales. Any opposition would likely come from lawmakers or stakeholders concerned about expanded gambling access, enforcement challenges, or unintended effects on retailers and problem gambling.