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Lawmakers in Mississippi are again pushing to bring sports wagering onto mobile devices, pairing the expansion with a tax cut aimed at winning support from local casino operators who have resisted similar efforts in recent years.
Good to Know
The legislation, known as the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act, was introduced by Casey Eure, a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives. The bill moved rapidly, clearing committee review and winning approval on the House floor within days.
Mississippi legalized sports betting in 2018 but confined wagering to physical casino locations. The new plan would allow bets anywhere within state lines while keeping casinos at the center of the system through required partnerships.
Each of the state’s 26 casinos could align with one online sportsbook operator under the proposal, a narrower structure than an earlier version that allowed two skins per property.
Local casinos have often opposed mobile betting, arguing that remote wagering could reduce in person visitation tied to hotels, dining, and tourism. To offset that concern, the bill lowers the casino tax rate, a change estimated to deliver roughly $48 million in relief.
Supporters believe that adjustment could help regional operators compete if digital wagering expands.
David Blount, a Mississippi state senator and chairman of the Senate Gaming Commission, has questioned whether mobile wagering aligns with the original purpose of legalized gaming in the state.
Blount said previously:
“The reason we have gaming in Mississippi is to encourage investment, to create jobs and to grow tourism to bring other people from other places to Mississippi. Mobile sports betting doesn’t do that.”
He has also indicated reluctance to consider expansion without support from the Mississippi Gaming Commission.
The bill would tax mobile sportsbook revenue at 22 percent, higher than the current 18.5 percent rate applied to retail wagering. Lawmakers estimate the structure could generate up to $100 million annually.
A dedicated funding stream would direct $50 million per year for a decade to the Public Employees Retirement System, replacing an earlier concept that set aside a smaller stabilization fund for casinos.
Eure said before the vote:
“By legalising mobile sports betting, we can eliminate much of the illegal market — including protecting underage bettors — and provide real consumer safeguards in a regulated environment. This legislation will also give our brick-and-mortar casinos a new revenue stream to ensure their continued success, while the state revenue generated will help close the gap in funding for our Public Employees’ Retirement System.”
The House has now passed mobile sports betting legislation for three consecutive years, but previous versions stalled in the Senate or collapsed during conference negotiations. A separate effort earlier this year also cleared the House yet failed to advance.