Published on: March 2, 2026, 02:54h.
Updated on: March 2, 2026, 02:54h.
- Mississippi is moving closer to legalizing online sports betting.
- The proposed legislation for mobile sports betting includes tax reductions for casinos.
Mississippi was among the pioneering states to introduce legal sports betting, with its casinos beginning to accept wagers on professional and college sports in August 2018, merely three months following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the federal ban on single-game wagering that predominantly affected Nevada.
Nearly eight years after the launch of retail sports betting, Mississippi finds itself among the few states yet to permit online wagering. The state’s sports betting regulations are designed to ensure patrons visit physical properties to place their bets, thereby protecting the local riverboat casinos.
Critics argue that the requirement to bet in person is stifling revenue generation and lowering tax income from sports wagers. Additionally, there are concerns that the existing retail sportsbook-only framework is inadvertently driving customers to unregulated, offshore sportsbooks, which lack consumer protections.
For another consecutive year, Mississippi Representative Casey Eure (R-Harrison) is spearheading efforts to expand online sports betting within the state. As chair of the House Gaming Committee, Eure is committed to extending the reach of Mississippi sportsbooks into the digital realm.
Casino Safeguards
In the current 2026 legislative session, Eure is introducing measures to alleviate opposition from some lawmakers who believe in-person sports betting benefits casinos, as it encourages patrons to engage in other activities such as table games, slot machines, or dining while on-site. The proposed House Bill 4074 seeks to protect the state’s 25 commercial gaming establishments by offering them a tax reduction.
HB4074, which successfully passed the Mississippi House of Representatives with a 100-11 vote last week, aims to lower the effective tax rate on each casino’s gross gaming revenue from 8% to 6%, starting July 1, 2026. The tax rate on in-person sports betting revenue would be drastically reduced from 18.5% to a mere 3.5%.
According to Eure, the retail casino tax reduction is poised to provide approximately $48 million in annual revenue relief to casinos, supporting smaller establishments that have previously voiced concerns about mobile sports betting if they couldn’t secure prominent partnerships with platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel.
HB4074 stipulates that each casino in Mississippi can align with only one online sportsbook.
Projected Revenues
The proposed Mississippi sports betting legislation outlines a 22% state tax on the revenue generated by mobile sportsbooks.
Eure projected that at a 22% tax rate, mobile sports betting could yield an annual revenue of $100 million for the state,” he conveyed to the House prior to last week’s vote.
He explained that the savings from retail taxes would enable casinos to reinvest in their properties, provide salary increases for employees, and maintain competitiveness against mobile sportsbooks. However, the legislation grants casinos the flexibility to utilize their tax savings at their discretion.
HB4074 has been sent to the Mississippi Senate and is currently awaiting a committee assignment.