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The Mississippi House has approved a bill that may allow mobile sports betting in the state, which is a significant step forward. The Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act will now proceed through the Senate’s legislative process following its passage in the House.
The measure was the subject of intense floor arguments prior to its approval on Thursday, which were mostly initiated by legislators from rural districts that are home to smaller casinos. Their main problems were with the bill’s requirement that casinos work with internet sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings.
The legislative mandate stipulates that these betting platforms must forge partnerships exclusively with one of the 26 brick-and-mortar casinos in Mississippi. While sportsbooks are permitted to engage with all casinos in the state, the casinos themselves are restricted to a singular sportsbook partnership.
Representative Robert Johnson expressed apprehensions about potential disparities, particularly for smaller casinos, stating, “There are platforms in this country that just about now already have a monopoly.”
Addressing concerns, Rep. Casey Eure, the bill’s author, assured that the competitive landscape would remain equitable for all casinos. He emphasized, “With 26 casinos, there’s approximately 30 to 40 platforms out there, and you’re allowed to create your own platform, so it doesn’t hold you back from creating your own platform.”
Giants in the market like as DraftKings and FanDuel might develop alliances with all 26 casinos, but no casino could interact with 40 distinct platforms, according to Eure.
The bill’s authors and supporters hope that if it is passed, the state will get a sizable sum of money. A revenue range of $25 million to $35 million was forecast by Eure, with the money designated for the state’s roads and bridges budget.
The Mississippi debates and talks around mobile sports betting are expected to heat up as the measure moves forward to the Senate, opening the door for possible modifications to the state’s gaming laws.