May Sports Betting in Mississippi Hits $27 Million in Retail Handle

The Mississippi Gaming Commission has released its sports betting figures for May. The state reported a handle of nearly $27 million, reflecting a drop of over 15% compared to April.

In Northern Mississippi, parlay cards topped the betting charts. Bettors in this region placed nearly $1 million on parlays throughout May. Basketball followed with $0.7 million in bets, while baseball accounted for $0.5 million.

Coastal region players showed a preference for baseball and basketball, each generating over $5 million in wagers. However, baseball slightly outperformed basketball in total bets for this region.

Central Mississippi saw basketball bets totaling $2.1 million and parlay wagers reaching $2.6 million during May.

Overall, the Coastal players contributed the most to the state’s monthly handle, placing nearly $18.4 million in bets.

Revenue and Legal Developments

Statewide retail sports betting generated close to $2.1 million in taxable revenue for May. Retail sports betting has been legal in Mississippi for several years.

Despite the popularity of sports betting, online sports betting remains illegal in the state. Legislative negotiators failed to advance a final mobile sports betting proposal. Earlier in the legislative session, both the Senate and the House passed versions of the state’s Mobile Sports Wagering Act. However, concerns over the impact on Mississippi’s brick-and-mortar casinos stalled the bill’s progress.