- The Mississippi House approved a mobile sports betting bill that would legalize online wagering in the state.
- With strong support for mobile sports betting, the House voted in favor by a vote of 97-14.
- Now, the Mississippi mobile sports betting bill will head to the Senate before it can become law.
In a 97-14 vote, the Mississippi House of Representatives approved the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act. House Bill 774 will permit Mississippi residents to register and place bets at online betting sites if legalized.
Under the bill, only bettors located in Mississippi can make sports bets in the state online. If residents from other states would like to bet at a Mississippi sportsbook, they can at one of the 28 land-based sportsbooks.
Despite being late to offer mobile sports betting, Mississippi was one of the early adopters. On August 1, 2018, Mississippi legalized sports betting in the state. However, this was only applicable to brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.
If gamblers want to place bets on sports, they have to drive to a physical sportsbook and receive a bet slip. Wagers must be made in person until the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act is legalized and deployed.
Currently, BetMGM is the only mobile sports betting app in the state. Betting is only permitted while on the premises of Gold Strike or Beau Rivage. The app will not accept wagers from off-property grounds.
Senate Approval Not A Guarantee
Despite House Bill 774 flying through the GOP-controlled House, there are no promises that the same will happen in the Senate. Sen. Brice Wiggins has some doubts that the bill will cruise to legalization without any issues.
“I know the Senate has some questions about the legislation as it’s been prepared by the House,” Wiggins said. “I think the Senate will want to look at it in greater detail, particularly as it pertains to the current infrastructure that’s in place for casinos”.
The Senate will have until April 2 to approve or reject House Bill 774. If the proposal is rejected, then the bill must be fine-tuned to appease the Senate. Clearly, with widespread support in the House, they are content with the current details of the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act.
Fortunately, for bettors in Mississippi, it appears like there is plenty of light at the end of the tunnel. If the Senate doesn’t vote in favor of House Bill 774, there will likely be amendments that can get the bill to home plate. Wiggins wants coast casinos protected under legalized mobile sports betting.
“We want to make sure the environment stays competitive. As I understand it, some of the new online gaming folks operate under a different business model than we’ve traditionally had.”
Estimated $25 To $35 Million In Revenue In First Year
In the first year of legalized mobile sports betting, Mississippi is expected to cash in handsomely.
According to the author of House Bill 774, House Gaming Committee Chairman Casey Eure, the first year of legalized mobile sports betting would generate between $25 to $35 million.
“It’s estimated that $64 billion was wagered on illegal sports bets across the United States last calendar year,” Eure stated. “Mississippi makes up 5% of that market, which is $3 billion.”
Under House Bill 774, online casino operators, such as DraftKings, will have to partner with a brick-and-mortar casino in Mississippi. They will not be forbidden from accepting bets before finding a partner.
Mississippi casinos will only be allowed to establish a partnership with one online sports betting operator. However, the online operators can partner with as many physical casinos as they’d like in the state.
Protecting smaller casinos in Mississippi is top of mind for lawmakers. In addition to Wiggins’ concerns, Rep. Robert Johnson III reiterated that large casinos will have more leverage to negotiate a better business deal with online operators.
House Bill 744 stipulates that a 12 percent tax will be applied on sports wagers. The revenue will be used for repairing bridges and roads throughout the state.
