Mississippi's push for online sports betting is expected to resume in 2025, following failed legislative attempts in 2024. Despite strong initial support in the House with a 97-14 vote, the bill faced significant amendments in the Senate and ultimately stalled in conference committee.

Key obstacles included disagreements over:

• Licensing and taxation structures
• Concerns about impact on physical casinos
• Questions about including online casino games

The state currently limits sports betting to retail sportsbooks at 26 commercial casinos, which collectively generate:

• $2.5 billion in annual gross gaming revenue
• $5 billion in economic impact
• 33,000 jobs
• $760 million in yearly tax revenue

Major casino operators including MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and Penn Entertainment support online expansion, arguing it complements rather than threatens physical operations.

State Senator David Blount, Gaming Committee chair, remains neutral on the issue, awaiting specific bill proposals for 2025.

Evidence from other states supports online expansion:

• New Jersey (Jan-Nov 2024):
  • Online betting: $11.6 billion in handles, $130.3 million in tax revenue
  • Physical betting: $500 million in handles, $2.8 million in tax revenue

Current limitations push Mississippi bettors to:

• Illegal offshore sportsbooks
• Neighboring states (Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee)

Mississippi joins Texas, Minnesota, and Georgia as states considering sports betting legislation in 2025, following Missouri's successful legalization in 2024, bringing the total to 39 states plus Washington, D.C. with legal sports betting.

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