Mississippi casino revenue rose to $200.6 million in February

Mississippi’s gambling industry continues to show steady growth. In February, the state’s combined casino revenue reached $200.6 million, up 5.8% from the same period a year earlier. The official data were released by the Mississippi Gaming Commission, the industry regulator.

The February result confirms the trend in which the gambling business in the region maintains positive momentum, despite the fact that February is traditionally considered one of the slowest months for the entertainment industry.

Revenue breakdown by segment

The structure of Mississippi casino revenue remains predictable: slot machines provide the main share of cash flow and can be called the industry’s main driver. They account for more than 83% of total revenue. The breakdown by key areas is as follows:

• Slots (slot machines) generated $167.2 million, up 4.9% year over year.
• Table games (poker, blackjack, roulette, and others) posted a stronger pace of growth of 6.8%, reaching $27.1 million.
• Retail sports betting generated $3.5 million, remaining a relatively modest but developing segment.

Notably, table games are growing faster than slots, although they trail them in absolute volume by more than six times.

Also noteworthy is the fact that revenue is rising amid the growing popularity of online casinos. Despite the fact that online casinos are illegal in Mississippi, local residents use offshore sites quite actively. We found confirmation of this after coming across an open site listing online casinos offering no-deposit bonuses. Major platforms featured in the list are available both in Australia or Mexico and in Mississippi. Despite the fact that they belong to the “gray” market, the popularity of such platforms in the state is growing rapidly. They have become direct competitors to land-based gambling venues.

Three regions, three different stories

The regulator divides the state’s gambling market into three geographic zones: the Gulf Coast, the North, and the Central region. Each region showed its own dynamics, although the overall trend remained upward.

The Coast took the lion’s share

Casinos in the coastal zone traditionally generate the largest volume of revenue, and February was no exception. The region posted both the highest revenue and the fastest growth rate among the three zones:

• Total revenue amounted to $131.6 million, up 7.5% year over year.
• Slots generated $108.8 million (up 5.3%).
• Table games reached $20.0 million (up 9.0%).
• Retail sports betting brought in $2.2 million.

Essentially, the Coast accounts for nearly two-thirds of the state’s total revenue, which is explained by the high concentration of large resort complexes in the Biloxi and Gulfport areas.

The North holds second place

The Northern region, which includes casinos along the Mississippi River, ranked second:

• Combined revenue reached $41.2 million with growth of 2.1%.
• Slots posted $33.8 million (up 3.0%).
• Table games generated $5.2 million (up 5.9%).
• Retail sports betting totaled $285 946.

Growth rates here are notably more modest than on the Coast; however, the table games segment is developing confidently.

Slot growth amid a decline in table games in the central region

Central casinos recorded the lowest revenue volume; however, the overall picture is mixed:

• Combined revenue amounted to $27.7 million, up 4.2%.
• Slots rose 5.6%, to $24.6 million.
• Table games, by contrast, fell 10.3%, dropping to $1.9 million. This is the only segment in the entire state that showed a decline.
• Retail sports betting brought in $987 764.

The decline in table games revenue in the central region may be due to both seasonal fluctuations in attendance and a shift in player traffic toward slot machines.

The figures provided reflect the results of Mississippi casinos for February and were published by the state regulator as part of its standard monthly reporting.