Mississippi propose mobile betting expansion

Mississippi is pushing for mobile sports betting by July 2022, after Democrat representative Cedric Burnett added a new measure to expand the sector.

Mississippi was one of the first states to get on board once PASPA was repealed back in 2018, however lawmakers at the time opted for limited coverage, allowing punters only to place bets from within the state’s few casinos. Having seen other states such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania get 90 percent of sales through online channels, and many residents finding it easier to cross the border (such as Louisiana where mobile betting is about to launch) and gamble rather than travel to native casinos, the state is now looking to increase their tax receipts by making gaming more accessible.

The process will be resisted by some quarters however. Casey Eure, chair of the House Gaming Committee, said in November, that any expansion should require partnering with existing casinos to prevent cannibalization from outsiders. “I want to make sure we protect our bricks and mortar [casinos],” he said, pointing to other markets like Michigan where this model has been successful.

FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, and BetMGM already have partnerships with Mississippi casinos, so launching on this basis should be a fairly straightforward affair.

However, the bill does not provide details on the number of operators that a licensee may partner with, but given the wording it could be limited to one per casino.

Revenues will be taxed at four percent up to $50,000 per month; six percent up to $134,000 and 8 percent beyond that upper limit.