Mississippi bill looks at widening sports betting regime to include online

Legislators in Mississippi have introduced a bill which would see the Magnolia State widen its existing retail sports betting market to include online sports betting.

Sponsored by Representative Casey Eure, house bill 606 would see the amendment of the specific elements of the Mississippi Code (1972), namely section 97-33-1, to include language allowing for online bets.

Existing codes would be amended to include online gambling within the purview of licensed gaming in the state, with all online licenses issued by the Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC).

House bill 606 would allow the state’s land-based casinos to partner with online operators, subject to a limit of one online platform provider per venue.

Mississippi has more than 30 land-based casinos, opening the door to the same number of online licenses to operate in the state.

In addition, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians own and operate three Class III tribal casinos, with plans to add a fourth in 2023.

In respect of players, the amendment requires all participants of online sports betting to register in-person at an authorized gaming establishment at least once every 12 months.

As the legislation authorizing sports betting online is purely based on amending Mississippi codes and not a separate bill, the current retail sports betting taxation regime applies.

This means that online operators face paying a tax of 11%-12% on sports betting revenue, made up of 8% in state tax and 3%-4% in local taxes.

Legislation authorizing retail sports betting was signed into law in March 2017, with the market launching in August 2018.

Officials in the state have attempted to legalize online sports betting in Mississippi on five other separate occasions with no success, with the latest being made in January 2022 by Representative Cedric Burnett, an attempt which died a death on the senate floor.

Not to be deterred, Burnett has filed House bill 708, which revises section 75-76-5 of the Mississippi Code to update the definition of “sports pool” in the state to incorporate amateur events, including esports, using methods other than parimutuel betting.

This includes, online betting, single-game bets, teaser bets, parlays, over-under, moneyline, pools, exchange wagering, in-game wagering, in-play bets, proposition bets, and straight bets.

House bill 708 also widens the language on gaming devices to include personal computers and mobile phones when placing bets, with requirements relating to geolocated bets within the state.

Both bills must first pass committee stage before being moved to the house, then the senate for a final vote.