Louisiana Senate Bill 325 passed both chambers of the state legislature unanimously and is headed to Governor Jeff Landry for signature. The legislation amends state law to authorise the Louisiana Gaming Control Board to exclude from retail sportsbooks and mobile wagering platforms individuals who threaten violence or harm against an athlete before, during or after a sporting event for gambling-related purposes. Excluded individuals face up to six months in prison or a fine of up to $500 if they attempt to enter gambling establishments, and they are entitled to a hearing for review of their placement on the exclusion list. BetMGM responded to gambling-related harassment earlier in 2026 by implementing a policy that suspends accounts that direct abusive messages or language toward athletes. The bill earned unanimous support following a 38-0 vote in the Senate and a 101-0 vote in the House.
Louisiana's athlete-harassment ban targets the symptom — bettors already enraged enough to send threats — but does nothing to intercept the abusive message before it traumatises the athlete or escalates to violence. Guardii's athlete-abuse detection filter, deployed for sports teams, federations and universities, monitors direct messages and social-platform contact in real time, identifying gambling-related harassment, sexually explicit messages and threats of violence the moment they are sent, blocking hostile contact before it reaches the athlete and surfacing the threat to team welfare officers or campus Title IX coordinators. Where legislation relies on post-hoc exclusion and criminal penalties after the harm has occurred, Guardii prevents the initial contact, enabling rapid escalation to the Gaming Control Board or law enforcement when threats cross the threshold SB 325 criminalises — protecting the athlete's wellbeing without waiting for a conviction.
