Mississippi Legislature Pursues Online Sports Betting

After Mississippi legislators failed to make progress in 2024, they will again try to legalize online/mobile sports betting in the state. Increased demand and the need for additional tax revenue motivate them to do so.

At the helm of a new mobile sports betting bill is House Gaming Chairman Rep. Casey Eure, R-Saucier. Eure has been heading up an investigative panel of Mississippi House Representatives who have now thrown their full support behind this measure.

Recognizing the supposed threat mobile sports betting would have on retail casinos that house retail sports betting access, Eure told the press:

“I would like to start by saying I’m committed to the bricks-and-mortar casinos and this bill mandates that all sports betting is tethered to bricks-and-mortar casinos."

To address this issue, the House committee has put forth a reworked version of last year's bill. The reworked version is said to target concerns that came out of the Senate last year during discussions.

What's in the New Bill?

Each time a state pursues any kind of online gambling legislation, the devil is always in the details. It almost always ends up being a balancing act, trying to address the "at odds" concerns of multiple parties.

Here are some of the key provisions in the new bill that will be presented out of committee to the House floor:

• The state's retail casinos will be allowed to seek online sports betting licensing


• Each licensee would be permitted to partner with up to two skins (operators)


• Major sports betting operators like Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel will have to partner with retail casinos


• A $6 million annual fund derived from sports betting tax revenue would be set up to pay smaller casinos with lacking revenue


• A 12% tax will be charged on all sports betting gross revenue


• Tax revenue would be distributed to all 82 counties via the state's Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund


• Credit cards would not be permitted as an account funding option


• The minimum online sports betting age would be set at 21 years old


• Access will only be permitted within the state's boundaries to be verified via the latest in geo-tracking technology


• December 8, 2025, would be set as the targeted launch date
  

Why the Urgency Now?

As has been the case in other states, it's clear that Mississippi residents are going to wager on sports one way or another. Notably, Mississippi residents can cross the border into Louisiana and place mobile wagers through one of that state's licensed operators. Where does the tax revenue go? It goes to Louisiana.

After seeing 8.7 million attempts since September 2024 by residents to access outside mobile sports betting sites, there is a renewed sense of urgency to get something done now. The demand is there, and it's up to Mississippi lawmakers to do something about it.

The bill will now move forward to the Senate floor for discussion and possible passage in the spring.