SPORTS BETTING
US – Latest attempt to legalise statewide mobile betting in Mississippi
By Lewis - 18 January 2023
A new mobile sports betting bill, the fifth such bill to be presented to the Mississippi legislature, has been read in the State House.
Sports betting is legal in Mississippi, with retail sports betting going live in the state in 2018, and is currently offered by 30 brick-and-mortar sport books in operation with casino locations. Mobile wagers are permitted, but punters can only place online bets while located on-property within a casino. The state has sought to amend the law to allow legislation to legalise state-wide mobile betting, but four proposed bills have all failed to make it past the voting stage, as casinos in the state stood in opposition to the measure.
The latest House Bill 606 marks the fifth attempt by lawmakers to introduce statewide mobile sports betting in Mississippi. The previous attempt in January 2022 failed at the voting stage. Under the new bill, which is again sponsored by Representative Casey Eure, land-based casinos in the state would be permitted to partner with one mobile operator, with mobile betting taxed at the same rate as retail betting.
Opposition to the newly proposed bill is expected to have weakened after sports betting handle in the state fell in 2022. However, the bill will again require a majority vote in order to pass.
