Mississippi's Shot at Online Sports Betting Redux
Mississippi's online sports betting bill could potentially be approved by the Senate in 2025.
The Mississippi House of Representatives has given the green light to Rep. Casey Eure's (R-116) online sports betting bill, thanks to a vote of 89-11. But fans of wagering might want to keep their expectations in check, as 2024 could be a bit of a dampener.
Last year, a similar bill to HB 1302 sailed through the House with a score of 97-14, only to crash against the rocks of the Senate over concerns about its impact on commercial casinos. This time around, Eure has made some changes in an attempt to smooth the way.
New Details, Same Goal
HB 1302 has been reworked to tackle previous issues related to casino cannibalization. The new bill includes an annual $6 million Retail Sports Wagering Protection Fund, which casinos that abstain from online partnerships can apply for a slice of. Robert Linnehan, a regulatory journalist, shared his insights, stating that casinos can "apply for a portion of revenue from the fund."
Eure also added that licensed gaming firms and casinos without online tie-ups "may apply for a portion of the funds" until 2030, provided their total annual sports wagering revenue is below the total annual retail sports wagering revenue they received in 2024. If they meet this criterion, they'll get an annual share of the $6 million.
Also, the bill permits Mississippi's 26 commercial dockside and land-based casinos to partner with not one but two online sports betting operators, compared to the single partner allowed previously.
Read Between the Lines
The casino fund was just one of the changes made to HB 1302. Another tweak gives Mississippian casinos a chance to team up with two online sports betting partners, instead of being locked into one alliance.
Bricks-and-mortar sportsbooks commenced operations in Mississippi as early as August 2018. However, legalizing online sports betting has proven to be a thorny issue.
A Brighter Future for Mississippi Betting?As the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, backs online sports betting, and Donald Trump makes a comeback, Mississippi bettors will have their fingers crossed that the winds of change will blow in their favor this year.
The revised HB 1302 aims to address concerns about casino cannibalization by establishing an annual $6 million Retail Sports Wagering Protection Fund, which casinos can apply for a portion of revenue from, if they abstain from online partnerships. Mississippi casinos are now allowed to partner with two online sports betting operators instead of one, as stated in the original bill. The future of online sports betting in Mississippi remains uncertain due to ongoing political debates and discussions in policy-and-legislation, general-news, and politics.
