For legal sports betting in Mississippi, bettors must still visit a casino or riverboat. However, a new bill to allow online wagers has made progress in the Jackson capital.
On January 20, Rep. Casey Eure (R-Harrison) and Rep. Jeffrey Hulum III (D-Harrison) introduced House Bill 1302. This legislation, known as the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act, would enable the state’s current gaming licensees to offer online sportsbook services.
This week, HB1302 advanced through the House Gaming Committee, chaired by Eure and including Hulum. The bill would permit each casino to partner with up to two online sportsbooks, or skins, but would not allow any online sportsbook to operate independently of a brick-and-mortar casino.
“I am committed to the brick-and-mortar casinos and this bill mandates that all sports betting is tethered to brick-and-mortar casinos,” said Eure.
Last year, a similar online sports betting bill garnered House support but stalled in the Senate due to concerns that online betting might detract from physical casino patronage.
Mississippi Sports Betting Safety Net
Senators also expressed concerns about the potential competitive disadvantage for smaller, regional casinos if online sportsbooks were introduced. There were predictions that industry giants like FanDuel and DraftKings would likely partner with the state’s larger casinos, such as MGM Resorts’ Beau Rivage, thereby benefiting the major players predominantly.
To address these concerns, Eure and Hulum have included the establishment of the Retail Sports Wagering Protection Fund in the reworked bill. Supported by $6 million annually from online sports betting taxes, this fund would provide compensation to casinos that do not operate an online sportsbook if their in-person sports betting revenue falls below 2024 levels.
A proposed 12% tax on online sportsbook revenue would benefit the state’s Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund, with all 82 counties receiving annual distributions for infrastructure projects.
State estimates suggest that Mississippi is losing out on $40 million to $80 million annually by not permitting online sports betting. Many Mississippi bettors currently place their bets in neighboring states where mobile betting is allowed, such as Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
Sports Betting Addiction Concerns
The 2025 bill also includes regulations aimed at curbing problem gambling. The use of credit cards for betting has been prohibited, though this measure could face opposition from conservatives who argue against government overreach in consumer behavior.
The bill requires licensed online sportsbooks to use player data and technology to identify potential problem gamblers, employ “automated triggers” to manage such accounts, and implement intervention and education levels to support at-risk bettors.
The Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act represents a significant step towards modernizing the state’s sports betting landscape while addressing concerns about the impact on brick-and-mortar casinos and problem gambling.
