According to the most recent report from the Mississippi Gaming Commission, sports betting activity increased significantly in August. The state’s sports betting handle increased to $22.6 million, nearly double the amount recorded in April, June & July, following months of decrease. On the other hand, this is merely a minor rise over August of the prior year.
Those who bet on coastal regions led the way with the highest percentage of wagers. Second place went to the Central area, demonstrating regional variations in betting patterns. Bettors placed $13.7 million in wagers in the Coastal zone, $5.3 million in the Central region, and $3.6 million in the Northern region.
Breaking down the numbers, baseball was the top sport for Northern Mississippi bettors, who placed nearly $1.4 million in wagers. Coastal region players showed strong interest in both baseball and football, betting almost $4.8 million on baseball and nearly $3.6 million on football. In the Central region, players focused on baseball and parlay bets, with $1.7 million and $2.5 million wagered, respectively.
Retail sports betting statewide generated close to $3.2 million in taxable revenue for August. However, despite the rise in activity, Mississippi still faces challenges in expanding to mobile sports betting. Although both the Senate and House passed versions of the Mobile Sports Wagering Act in the last legislative session, concerns over the impact on brick-and-mortar casinos prevented final approval.