Mississippi Bill Aims to Legalize Online Sports Betting
Mississippi could be the next state to introduce mobile sports betting after a new bill was proposed to permit operators of casinos to also open sportsbooks.
Sports betting is currently only legal in-person in Mississippi, with the state having 23 licensed sportsbooks operating from land-based casinos. However, should the bill pass, the likes of BetMGM, Caesar’s and DraftKings, which all operate from brick-and-mortar venues across the state, will be able to launch online products.
Mississippi Sports Betting Bill Includes Tax Hikes
The bill was introduced by Republican State Representative Jay McKnight, with the title “An Act To Amend Section 75-76-5, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Revise The Gaming Control Act Definition Of “sports Pool” And Define “digital Platform” As A Person Or Entity That Operates A Sports Pool Or Race Book Over The Internet, Including on Websites And Mobile Devices.” The bill will now be passed onto the House’s Gaming Committee.
As well as permitting casinos to operate online sportsbooks, taxes for online betting will also be hiked if the legislation passes, to bring them in line with rates on in-person betting. The tax will be proportionate to the revenue earned by sportsbooks, from 4% on gross revenue for smaller sportsbooks with $50,000 or less of monthly revenue, up to 8% on monthly revenue exceeding $134,000.
Mississippi Sweepstakes Ban Proposed
One additional bill being proposed by Senator Joey Fillingane seeks to ban sweepstakes casinos from operating in the state, after initial efforts to do so last year failed.
The state has taken a long-term stance against sweepstakes, filing a class action lawsuit against one operator, VGW, in 2024. Another, Chumba Casino, was handed a cease-and-desist order in June 2025, after the state became the first in the US to specifically prohibit sweepstakes operators. However, the bill was later rejected due to the inclusion of an amendment concerning sports betting. The new proposed ban would make running similar casinos a felony carrying a $100,000 fine.
Finally, one further bill has been proposed to allow gaming terminals to operate from truck stops, including restrictions on wagering and payouts, as well as the number of locations throughout the state.
Mississippi’s legislative session is scheduled for Sunday, April 5, with the bills slated to come into effect on Wednesday, July 1 if any are passed.
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