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In the upcoming 2024 session, lawmakers from Mississippi, led by Rep. Casey Eure, are thinking about legalizing sports betting on mobile devices. Experts predict more discussions about safeguarding the state's gaming industry, employment market, and economic impact despite ongoing obstacles and resistance. The result could have an impact on how online gambling develops in the state.
Mississippi Is Prepared for Online Sports Betting Laws in 2024
In the coming year, it is expected that Mississippi will take a close look at online sports betting. Experts warn that Magnolia State has participated in this matchup before and lost each time.
Republican Casey Eure, the chairman of the House Gaming Committee, has declared that he plans to approve legislation permitting mobile sports betting during the 2024 legislative session.
Representative Eure (R-Saucier) made his plans known during the most recent 2023 meeting of the legislature's Mobile Online Sports Betting Task Force, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the intricacies of legalizing this kind of gambling in Mississippi.
According to Jay McDaniel, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, bills have been introduced every year since 2018. The concepts haven't yet made it out of the committee and into a public discussion, though.
McDaniel claims that there is still uncertainty surrounding the upcoming bill on online sports betting, which was supposed to be introduced in January. Democratic Senator David Blount, a member of the task force, has expressed concerns about potential job impacts from the shift to mobile betting while highlighting the importance of the bill to safeguard Mississippi's thriving gaming industry.
The Mississippi Legislature's regular session for 2024 is set to start at noon on January 2. The deadline for general bill introductions is February 19.
Mississippi casinos oppose online sports betting out of concern for lost revenue
Mississippi was one of the first states in the union to legalize sports betting after the US Supreme Court's ruling in May 2018. As previously reported by Casino.org, only a small portion of Mississippi's 13-member task force supports the addition of online sportsbooks to the state's gaming industry.
Legislators worry that mobile sports betting could jeopardize destination gaming. The Mississippi Gaming Commission reported collecting more than $272 million in taxes in FY 2023.
The legalization of online sports betting is a point of contention for both legislators and Mississippi casinos. Land-based casinos are the state's most vocal opponents of online sports betting.
A number of casino executives, including Chris Hopwood, the director of Pearl River Resort Race and Sportsbook, have lobbied lawmakers to oppose the expansion of sports betting. Hopwood asserted that such a move would be financially detrimental to the state and harm physical casinos.
Mississippi Casinos Encourage Sports Betting Online to Face Off Against Regional Rivals
26 casinos in the state have come out in favor of online sports betting, including some owned by Penn Entertainment and Caesars. There are allegations that bettors are relocating to adjacent states like Tennessee, Louisiana, and Arkansas where online betting is permitted.
Rep. Eure's stated goal is to protect brick and mortar.
The Mobile Online Sports Betting Task Force's report must be delivered to the state legislature by December 15th.
