Starting Aug. 1, anyone who uses a cryptocurrency kiosk in Louisiana can cancel a transaction and demand a full refund — if the operator wasn't licensed when the transaction happened. The new law, Act 482, puts the cost of those refunds squarely on the operator. It's a direct response to a surge in kiosk-related fraud that cost Louisiana residents nearly $2.9 million last year alone.
What the law does
Act 482 covers any virtual-currency-kiosk transaction made on or after Aug. 1. If the operator was unlicensed at the time, the user can cancel and get all their money back. The operator has 10 business days to acknowledge the request and spell out exactly what the user needs to do to get the refund. Once the request is in, the operator must complete the refund within 90 calendar days — or within 90 days after the user provides required proof like a police report or ID, if the operator's policy demands it.
The law also requires operators to offer live support through a toll-free number during kiosk operating hours. That number has to be displayed on the machine and on the transaction receipt. No more hunting for a customer service email that bounces.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center logged 144 complaints from Louisiana involving crypto kiosks in 2025, with adjusted losses of $2,874,450. That's a lot of people losing money at machines that look like ATMs but often have no real oversight. The new law doesn't ban kiosks — it just makes unlicensed operation expensive. If you're running a machine without a license, every transaction is a potential liability.
Louisiana already has a general rule giving consumers a 72-hour hold or cancellation window for full refunds on certain transactions. Act 482 preserves that rule and adds this extra layer for unlicensed operators.
Who's licensed
As of July 31, the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions listed 36 active virtual-currency business licensees. That's the pool of operators who can legally run kiosks in the state. Anyone else is taking a risk. The law treats owning, operating, soliciting, marketing, advertising, or even facilitating a kiosk as virtual-currency business activity subject to licensing.
The message is clear: if you're running a kiosk in Louisiana without a license, your customers can now hit you with a refund demand — and you have to pay.
What happens next
Act 482 is already in effect. Operators who aren't licensed have a choice: get licensed fast, or face a growing stack of refund requests. The 90-day clock starts ticking the moment a user asks for their money back. For consumers, the advice is simple — check whether the kiosk operator is on that state list before you hit confirm.
