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The permanent location won’t be ready until some time next year, but that doesn’t mean guests at the Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge have to wait until then to put some wagers down on sporting events. As of this morning, that option is available.
A temporary DraftKings Sportsbook is open to the public inside the casino now. This opening effectively doubles DraftKings’ retail footprint for online gaming in Louisiana as well.
Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge ready to welcome sports bettors
On Thursday morning, DraftKings announced a temporary location at the casino began taking wagers. In addition to three ticket windows, there are 20 self-service kiosks for DraftKings customers at the casino.
“The temporary DraftKings Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge will provide customers with new, exciting ways to enjoy this historic property, and we’re thrilled our expanded DraftKings partnership will offer guests their premier sports betting technology,” said Terry Downey, President and CEO of CQ Holding Company, Inc., which operates the Hollywood Baton Rouge.
“We believe this temporary DraftKings Sportsbook space will lay the foundation for one of the most engaging sports viewing environments, which will be further elevated upon the opening of the proposed permanent DraftKings Sportsbook next year.”
This is the second retail DraftKings Sportsbook in the Pelican State. The other is at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Lake Charles. Legal brick-and-mortar sports betting began in most of Louisiana in late 2021, with online sportsbooks launching earlier this year.
“We’re excited to expand our DraftKings footprint in Louisiana, showcasing our commitment to the region with the opening of our second retail sportsbook space,” said Michael Kibort, Senior Director of Retail Sportsbooks at DraftKings.
“Through our collaboration with CQ Holding Company, Inc. and Hollywood Casino, we look forward to revolutionizing the sports betting experience while providing sports fans with an outstanding entertainment facility in Baton Rouge.”
This also represents the second collaboration between CQ Holding Company, Inc. and DraftKings. For CQ, it means all of the casinos they operate now offer retail sports betting.
CQ completes the trifecta
CQ also operates DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois. DraftKings acquired that casino in 2020 to satisfy co-branding requirements in that state.
CQ’s other casino property is the Casino Queen Marquette in the town by the same name in Iowa. Fubo Sportsbook operates the retail sportsbook there, however. Iowa is one of only two states where Fubo Sportsbook currently operates. The other is Arizona.
With this opening at a CQ property, the landscape for retail sports betting in Louisiana is nearly complete as well. Additionally, regulars to the Hollywood Baton Rouge can now get a taste of what next year will be like.
