Bill Approved for Legal Sports Betting in Mississippi

Legalized Online Sports Betting Advances in Mississippi

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 07 February 2025

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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The Current Situation

House Gaming Chairman Rep. Casey Eure, R-Saucier, is once again trying to pass legislation after lawmakers couldn’t come to a final proposal decision in 2024. Sports betting has been legal in Mississippi for many years, and casino gambling has been legal for decades. However, online sports betting has remained illegal, with fears that the move could harm the bottom line of the state’s casinos.

I would like to start by saying I’m committed to the bricks-and-mortar casinos, and this bill mandates that all sports betting is tethered to bricks-and-mortar casinos,

Eure said.

HB 1302 would legalize online sports betting but restrict it to only existing casinos. Each platform would have the right to offer an online sportsbook and an online racebook. Sports betting would be taxed at 12% of gross revenue, and credit cards would be banned for sports wagering.

The Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act got the go-ahead in a committee session on January 29th and will now go to the full House for debate. If it is approved, online sportsbooks will be able to launch from December 8th 2025.

Bill to Protect Smaller Casinos

Previous efforts to legalize online sports betting in the state have fallen through due to concerns that it would cannibalize land-based revenue. Chairman Eure emphasized that the new bill shows his commitment to retail gaming.

Another concern is that online sports betting will leave the smaller casinos out in the cold because leading sportsbooks will only want to partner with big casinos. The lawmakers have addressed this concern and proposed a Retail Sports Wagering Protection Fund, which would be funded by the first $6 million in annual sports betting tax revenue. 

Smaller casinos can draw money from this fund for five years after sports betting is legalized. The Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) would allocate the funds to the eligible casinos.

The remainder of the tax revenue would go towards the state’s Emergency Road and Bridge Repair fund.

Conclusion

Eure has cited figures suggesting that Mississippi is losing out on between $40 million and $80 million annually by not allowing online sports betting. Observers have noted that many betting enthusiasts in Mississippi are crossing into neighboring states to wager on sports online.

According to the American Gaming Association, online sports betting is legal in 30 states, and Washington, D.C. Will Mississippi be next on the list?