Published on: January 3, 2025, 01:55h.
Last updated on: January 2, 2025, 02:56h.
Mississippi online sports betting discussions in the Jackson capital are set to recommence when legislators convene for their 2025 session later this month.
A bill to broaden online sports betting that originated in the state House of Representatives passed the lower chamber of the Legislature with overwhelming 97-14 support in early February 2024. However, after House Bill 774 progressed to the Senate, the measure underwent substantial amendments before passing 36-15 in the upper chamber.
A bipartisan conference committee comprised of members from the House and Senate encountered challenges in finding common ground. The push to introduce online sportsbooks to Mississippi faltered as the Legislature adjourned.
Significant disagreements existed between the chambers regarding the licensing and taxation of online sportsbooks. Some state Senators raised concerns that online books could negatively impact the state’s physical casinos. Others suggested that if the state were to permit online sports betting, it should also include online casino games.
Despite differing viewpoints, Mississippi’s restriction of sports betting to retail sportsbooks at commercial and tribal casinos is undeniably pushing some bettors towards unregulated, illegal online sportsbooks. Other residents of Mississippi continue to travel to neighboring Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee to place their online wagers. The state is also not benefiting much from tax revenue by only allowing retail sports gambling.
Casinos Back Online Sports Betting
Mississippi is home to 26 commercial casinos. The properties’ annual gross gaming revenue (GGR) of about $2.5 billion last year positions the state among the top 10 commercial gaming markets in the country.
According to the American Gaming Association, Mississippi’s commercial casinos have an annual economic impact exceeding $5 billion, support 33,000 jobs, and generate over $760 million in tax revenue annually.
Major casino operators such as MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Penn Entertainment, Body Gaming, and Golden Nugget, all of which have properties in Mississippi, strongly advocate for online sports betting. Executives from these firms believe that online sports betting complements in-person casino gambling and does not harm brick-and-mortar GGR.
State Sen. David Blount (D-Jackson), chair of the Senate Gaming Committee, recently stated to the Clarion Ledger that he has no immediate plans to introduce an online sports betting bill in 2025. He mentioned that he would reserve judgment on sports betting expansion until he had the chance to review a bill proposing it.
The House has expressed interest in expanding gaming in the state, so I am uncertain about their potential actions. I will have to wait and see if there is a Senate bill to consider,” Blount remarked.
In states where both in-person and online sports betting are permitted, the majority of bets are placed remotely. For example, in New Jersey, online sportsbooks handled nearly $11.6 billion in bets between January and November 2024, while physical sportsbooks only processed less than $500 million in handle.
Online sports betting generated over $130.3 million in tax revenue for New Jersey during the 11-month period. In contrast, physical sportsbooks contributed tax revenue of just $2.8 million.
Expansion in 2025
2025 saw the slowest progress in sports betting legalization since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal law in May 2018 that had restricted single-game sports wagering to Nevada. Missouri was the only state to pass legislation, which voters approved during the November presidential election, to legalize sports betting.
Missouri became the 39th state, along with Washington, D.C., to legalize sports betting. In addition to online sports betting in Mississippi, legislation on sports betting is anticipated to be deliberated upon this year in Texas, Minnesota, and Georgia.