Louisiana bill would expand racketeering law to cover gambling crimes

Suswati Basu

 

Louisiana lawmakers are pressing ahead with legislation that would expand the state’s racketeering laws to cover a range of gambling-related crimes. House Bill 53 cleared the House on Monday (March 30), and quickly moved to the Senate for further consideration.

Rep. Bryan Fontenot, who sponsored the measure, saw it pass with strong support. Lawmakers backed the bill by wide margins, with vote counts of 87-11 and 86-11, while several members did not vote. The Senate has already given the proposal its first reading and placed it on the calendar.

The bill attempts to reshape how Louisiana defines racketeering activity by folding in a series of gambling-related offenses. The legislation amends state law “relative to gambling crimes; to add certain gambling crimes as predicate offenses for racketeering activity,” according to the bill text.

Louisiana expands racketeering law to cover gambling offenses

Louisiana law already outlines a list of crimes that can trigger racketeering charges, typically tied to wider patterns of criminal conduct. This proposal keeps that framework but extends it to cover specific gambling violations.

The bill names several statutes that would now qualify, including gambling in public, using computers, wagering at cockfights, or using electronic sweepstakes devices.

Additional offenses spelled out in the measure include “R.S. 14:90.8 (Unlawful wagering; prohibited player)” and “R.S. 14:118.1 (Bribery of sports participants).” The legislation places these crimes into the racketeering statute under new provisions listed as R.S. 15:1352(A)(89) through (95).

State law defines racketeering activity more generally, covering both the commission of crimes and attempts or efforts to organize them. It includes “conspiring to commit, or soliciting, coercing, or intimidating another person to commit” those offenses.

As a result, prosecutors could gain more flexibility to pursue cases involving coordinated or ongoing illegal betting operations, instead of handling each charge separately.

A legislative digest attached to the bill states that the measure “retains present law and adds crimes related to gambling.”

Louisiana’s effort comes amid a national push in 2026, as states such as Oklahoma and Florida, weigh new laws targeted at both expanding legal gambling and tightening enforcement against illegal activity. Some proposals focus on regulation and consumer protections, while others point to stronger criminal tools, including racketeering statutes.

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