Louisiana saw handle and revenue rise year-on-year during May. New Hampshire, however, reported lower revenue despite an increase in player spending.

Overall spend on sports betting in the state in May hit $256.7m (£203.1m/€240.1m), 31.6% higher than the same month last year. Of this total, $238.3m was bet online, with the other $18.4m wagered at retail sportsbooks.

Former Louisiana State University (LSU) national basketball champion Angel Reese signed to the WNBA team Chicago Sky in May at the start of the league’s four month season, this likely encouraged increased betting activity in the state during the month.

Revenue growth in Louisiana 

As for gross gaming revenue from sports betting, this totalled $33.5m. The figure is 18.8% up on the previous year and marginally ahead of $33.0m in April.

Online betting accounted for $31.2m of all sports wagering revenue in May. Revenue from the retail market amounted to $2.3m.

Parlay betting drew the most revenue across both channels, with online at $21.3m and retail $1.4m. For a single sport, basketball was the biggest money-maker for online at $2.2m, whereas baseball took top spot in the retail sector with revenue of $479,857.

In terms of tax, online betting generated $5.5m in May, with retail at $244,950.

For the year to date, total wagered in Louisiana hit $3.12bn during the 10 months to the end of May. This includes $2.85bn in online bets and $275.6m in retail wagers.

Revenue-wise, for the whole market, this hit $361.8m for the same period. Some $333.4m is from online betting and $28.5m retail wagering.

Handle down again in New Hampshire

Turning now to New Hampshire, total spend in May hit $58.0m. This is 11.3% higher than last year but down 3.2% from April. It is also the second consecutive month of decline in the state.

Players spent $51.7m betting online in April compared to the $6.3m wagered at retail books.

As for revenue, this topped $6.5m in May. This is 7.1% lower than last year, despite higher spending, but 22.6% more than April and its higher handle.

Of all revenue generated in May, $5.9m came from online betting and $652,270 the retail sector.

New Hampshire generated $2.8m in tax from sports betting during the month. This includes $2.5m from online wagers and $293,521 retail bets.

For the year to date, total spend in New Hampshire during the 10 months to the end of May was $703.7m. This comprises $616.9m in online wagers and $86.8m in retail bets.

In terms of revenue, the total generated in the same period hit $71.5m. This includes some $64.5m from the online sector and $7.0m retail.

A dramatic incident unfolded at a popular travel center off I-10 in Duson, Louisiana, on Sunday (June 23) when a truck caught fire. Numerous photos and a wild video surfaced online, showing the vehicle completely engulfed in flames.

The fire occurred at the I-10 Travel Center Chevron near Miss Mamie’s Casino, a well-known stop for travelers along I-10. According to a Facebook post from the Duson Fire Department, the blaze was reported at 10:52 AM. Firefighters arrived swiftly at 10:54 AM to find a 2016 Ford F-150 pickup truck fully engulfed in flames.

The truck was parked under a metal covering near the fuel pumps, causing heat and smoke damage to the structure. Despite the dangerous proximity to the fuel pumps, the firefighters successfully extinguished the fire with assistance from the Lafayette Fire Hazardous Materials unit, preventing what could have easily been a catastrophic explosion.

Duson Fire Chief Coby Duhon praised his team’s quick response and effective actions, saying, “With the proper personnel and response time, only a vehicle was lost today. No injuries were recorded, and there was minimal structure damage.”

A video from Jamie Stutes Fontenot on Facebook showed just how dramatic the blaze was.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Chief Duhon also thanked the Scott and Mire Fire Departments for their assistance in managing the situation.

We will update this story if any more new developments are confirmed.

One of Oklahoma State’s most memorable wrestlers was honored by his home state over the weekend.

On Saturday, former OSU wrestler Daniel Cormier was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, Cormier was a dominant wrestler in high school.

At Northside High School, Cormier won three state wrestling championships. After his success in high school, he attended Colby Community College in Kansas.
He also dominated there, winning two NJCAA national championships while going 61-0 in two years. Following his undefeated career at Colby Community College, Cormier made his way to Stillwater, where he would be a force for the Cowboys.

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At OSU, Cormier went 52-10 across the 2000 and 2001 seasons. With 36 bonus-point wins, Cormier was good enough to qualify for the NCAA Championships in both years.

In 2001, he earned All-America honors for his performance as he finished national runner-up at 184 pounds. In both seasons, Cormier played a significant role in OSU winning Big 12 championships.

After wrestling for two years under John Smith, Cormier went into freestyle wrestling and represented the United States on a few occasions. Cormier won gold medals at the Pan American Championships in 2002 and the Pan American Games in 2003.

Following his wrestling career, Cormier took up mixed martial arts and eventually joined the UFC in 2013.  Cormier would end his MMA career with 22 wins in 26 fights. He now works with ESPN as part of its mixed martial arts coverage.

As Cormier is in another Hall of Fame, he recognized the importance of his home state in his career.

Boy, it’s good to be a kid from Louisiana,” Cormier said.

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