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Mississippi Lawmakers Wading Back Into Online Sports Betting Fray

Robert Linnehan

By Robert Linnehan in Sports Betting News

Published:


NCAA Basketball: Mississippi at Alabama
Jan 14, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Mississippi Rebels guard Jaylen Murray (5) and Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) walk off the court following the end of the game at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images
  • Rep. Cedric Burnett (D-9) introduced a new Mississippi online sports betting bill
  • The Magnolia State currently has legal in-person online sports betting at licensed casinos
  • An online sports betting bill was approved in the House in 2024, but died in a conference committee

Mississippi lawmakers are once again going to consider the legalization of expanded online sports betting for the 2025 session.

Rep. Cedric Burnett (D-9) introduced HB 682 this week, which would allow each Mississippi casino to apply for an online sports betting license and potentially partner with up to one sports betting company.

Online sports betting is technically legal in the state, but is only allowed to be offered on licensed casino property.

Another Year, Another Online Sports Betting Bill

Burnett’s bill, if approved, would allow each of the 26 licensed Mississippi casinos to offer online sports betting through a “digital platform” off property. Online sports betting is currently allowed for users as long as they are physically present on casino property.

Casinos would be able to offer their own online sports betting platforms or partner with an established online sports betting company to offer their services.

The legislation would allow sports bets on collegiate, amateur or professional sporting events, and also specifically including e-sports competitions. There is no prohibition on placing bets on in-state colleges or universities in the bill.

The bill includes a tiered tax system for gross sports betting revenues:

  • 4% of gross revenue not surpassing $50,000 per month
  • 6% of gross revenue that surpasses $50,000, but does not surpass $134,000 per month
  • 8% of gross revenue that surpasses $134,000 per month

Mississippi lawmakers are going to again take a stab at expanding the state’s online sports betting market. Last year, Rep. Casey Eure’s (HB 774) Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act died a quiet death late in session, as a House and Senate conference committee could not find a compromise to keep the bill alive.

His bill proposed expanding Mississippi online sports betting from just casino property to throughout the state and included a unique tiered tax system to fund improvements for roads and bridges.

Eure’s bill was approved by the House by a 97-14 vote in February 2024, but was not supported by the Senate. The legislation was eventually approved by the Senate, but stripped of all sports betting language. The House did not concur with the changes made to the bill and agreed to a conference committee to see if any common ground could be found to approve the bill.

Neither chamber could agree on a compromise, and the bill stalled out near the end of the state’s session.

Geolocation Data Supports Online Sports Betting Interest

Interest in expanded Mississippi online sports betting is high, according to data from geolocation company GeoComply.

According to data collected during the NFL season from Sept. 5, 2024, through Jan. 5, 2025, Mississippi currently has more than 212,000 online sports betting accounts in the state. Compared with the same time period last year, the state experienced a 77.4% increase in online sports betting accounts.

The company also noted nearly 10 million geolocation checks across the four month span of Mississippi residents attempting to access legal online sportsbooks in neighboring states. The attempts were all blocked by GeoComply.

Data provided by GeoComply.
Data provided by GeoComply.
Robert Linnehan
Robert Linnehan

Regulatory Writer and Editor

Rob covers all regulatory developments in online gambling. He specializes in US sports betting news along with casino regulation news as one of the most trusted sources in the country.

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