Louisiana is set to start catching up with other states in terms of online gambling, and a new Rush Street Interactive (RSI) and Coushatta Casino Resort deal is part of that modernization. The partnership opens up social gaming to people in the Bayou State.
On the verge of some Louisianans getting access to legal daily fantasy contests online, this deal foreshadows much more. It could allow both companies to be first movers in future gambling expansions.
Details of the RSI and Coushatta Casino deal
Nestled in Kinder, LA, Coushatta is the largest gambling facility in the Bayou State. Its new partnership with RSI focuses on a category of online social games.
Those games have the feel of online casino and sportsbook experiences, but don’t require a real-money wager to play. Additionally, winners of these games do not get cash prizes.
According to Scott Sirois, general manager at Coushatta Casino Resort:
“Our new website delivers social casino gaming excitement directly to our guests’ fingertips––anytime, anywhere. With hundreds of casino games available on the website, some with the option of interacting with a live dealer, this brings us to a new level of guest service in the gaming industry.”
The platform, called CASINO4FUN, will also serve as a marketing device for both companies. It allows Rush Street and Coushatta to build a customer base within the state.
The companies will get access to user’s email addresses. They will also get other identifying information that the system captures when people register to play.
Richard Schwartz, president of Rush Street Interactive said:
“This partnership will provide them with a powerful marketing tool to increase their current casino customer engagement, reactivate lapsed players, and acquire new customers cost-efficiently.”
Building up a reservoir of customers in Louisiana is crucial if RSI wants to compete with other online gambling companies in the future. Competitors in the space could soon gain customers in a different way.
Deal comes on the heels of gambling expansion in the state
This fall, voters in each of the 64 parishes in the state will have another chance to expand gambling again, beyond a previous vote to allow daily fantasy sports in the state.
A statewide ballot measure will decide the fate of legal sports betting on a similar parish-by-parish basis.
Unless voters in all of the parishes defeat the referendum, it will bring legal wagering on sporting events to at least parts of the Bayou State in the future. However, it may not take two years to actually implement as DFS did.
While DFS was slow to launch, it looks to be just weeks away from going live in Louisiana. Initially, the plan was to be ready for the 2020-2021 NFL season, and that is set to begin on Sept. 10.
Operators like DraftKings and FanDuel no doubt hope to secure potential future sportsbook customers through DFS.
If online wagering is legalized, RSI and Coushatta hope their new deal gives them an edge as well.
According to Schwartz:
“As more states move to legalize online casino and sports betting, forward-looking partners such as the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana are selecting Rush Street Interactive’s CASINO4FUN® Social Casino product to position themselves early for success once online gaming is legalized in their state.”
With the New Orleans market up for grabs, future competition for licenses could heat up. However, the future of sports betting in the state is far from settled.
For now, the RSI and Coushatta Casino deal is all about gambling online for fun. In the near future, however, the partnership could entail much more.
