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Supporters of online sports betting in the Mississippi House are preparing another legislative push, marking the third straight year the issue will return despite repeated resistance in the Senate. The new proposal includes changes aimed at directing revenue toward the underfunded Public Employees Retirement System.
House Gaming Committee Chair Casey Eure is drafting the legislation after leading earlier efforts that cleared the House but stalled in the Senate. In 2025, his bill passed the House by an 88 to 10 vote before Senate Gaming Committee Chair David Blount declined to advance it.
Mississippi legalized sports betting in 2018, making it one of the earliest states to do so after the fall of PASPA. The law restricted wagering to in person sportsbooks at casinos, leaving mobile betting off the table.
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Industry sources continue to describe Mississippi as one of the most difficult remaining states for online sports betting legislation. Opposition often comes from a mix of political leadership and casino interests, and that dynamic remains intact.
Blount has repeatedly said the revenue upside from mobile sports betting does not justify legalization. He has also stated he would not introduce or support legislation unless requested by the Mississippi Gaming Commission. Concerns about potential harm to brick and mortar casinos have also shaped his stance.
Independent Mississippi casinos are viewed as influential voices in the debate. Some operators worry that allowing mobile wagering would favor large out of state brands and weaken local market control.
Eure is expected to lean heavily on the framework approved by the House last year. Under that structure, each Mississippi casino could partner with up to two online sportsbook platforms.
The 2025 bill also included provisions designed to soften the impact on casinos. Those measures tied a portion of sports betting tax revenue to mitigation funding and banned credit card use for sportsbook accounts. Both elements are expected to return in the new proposal.
Eure told Mississippi Today that all state revenue generated from online sports betting would be directed to the Public Employees Retirement System. Lawmaker Kevin Felsher previously raised a similar concept.
The retirement system currently stands at 55 percent funded, with unfunded liabilities estimated at roughly $26 billion.
Eure has framed online legalization as a way to address illegal wagering while expanding consumer protections. He said:
“By legalizing 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.”
After the Senate declined to consider the House bill last year, lawmakers attempted a workaround. The House amended a Senate proposal aimed at banning sweepstakes casinos by inserting online sports betting language. That measure ultimately died in conference committee.