The Mississippi House of Representatives has passed a bill to legalize mobile sports betting in the state, following years of illegal gambling and missed opportunities for revenue generation. In an overwhelmingly approved vote on Monday, lawmakers approved House Bill 1302, officially named the “Mississippi Sports Wagering Act,” allowing individuals aged 21 and older to place legal sports wagers on regulated events through mobile devices. The bill closely mirrors a version passed by the House last year, though it includes several key changes aimed at improving the regulation and accessibility of mobile betting.

For now, residents of the state will continue to have access to mobile sports betting if the bill passes, but they may still need to rely on offshore casinos online for other types of gambling like slots and table games, as there’s no indication that the state will open up its digital gaming market in the immediate future. Once Mississippi does open up its laws and online frontiers to include online gambling, they’ll have to match the high standards set by other established names.

Even now, local players from Mississippi can use online casino sites from other states, where even now, according to Vlad Grindu, players are enjoying some of the fastest paying casinos offering payouts in anywhere from 24 hours to a couple of days, a variety of games and welcome bonuses. And the state of Mississippi is losing out on tax dollars until they make the next step and enable online casinos to be legal.

While the approval of mobile sports betting is a step forward for Mississippi, the state is still not allowing casino gaming beyond its brick-and-mortar establishments. This situation leaves some wondering if Mississippi will eventually follow other states by legalizing online casinos and other forms of digital gambling.

Under the proposed law, mobile sports betting would be tied to Mississippi’s brick-and-mortar casinos, requiring geofencing technology to ensure that wagers are placed only within the state’s borders. This situation has led to lost tax revenue, as bettors have resorted to unregulated platforms instead of the state’s existing legal casinos. 

Representative Casey Eure, who was named by Speaker Jason White to be part of the PEER Committee and who introduced the bill, emphasized that Mississippi is among the top states for online sports betting searches, despite its lack of legalized mobile betting. Neighboring states like Louisiana and Tennessee have capitalized on the market, where Tennessee and Louisiana are generating millions in tax revenue. Mississippi has always been keen on being a leader in the sports betting industry. With this new bill, Mississippi hopes to benefit from this booming industry, potentially adding millions of dollars to its economy. 

If the bill is passed into law, it would impose a 12% tax on mobile sports betting revenue, with the funds earmarked from mobile sports betting will be funnelled for infrastructure projects such as road and bridge repairs across all 82 counties in Mississippi. In addition, the bill would allow casinos to partner with up to two online betting platforms, rather than just one, as was the case in previous versions. This change is designed to increase the accessibility and variety of mobile betting options for users.

However, there are some concerns surrounding the bill. Some critics have raised issues about the potential impact on smaller casinos, which may not have the resources to partner with online betting platforms. They warn that without clear provisions to ensure that online platforms partner with smaller, regional casinos, the benefits of the new mobile sports betting legislation could be disproportionately skewed toward larger casinos.

In response to these concerns, Mississippi House approved of the bill to include a $6 million “Retail Sports Wagering Protection” fund, which would help support casinos facing financial difficulties due to mobile betting. Any unused funds from the protection fund would be redirected toward road and bridge repairs.

The future of online casino gaming in Mississippi remains uncertain, as gaming regulations in the state are typically focused on tourism and physical infrastructure, like hotels and resorts. In fact, the Senate Gaming Committee Chairman recently argued that the primary goal of Mississippi’s gaming industry is to drive tourism, attract investment, and create jobs.