A Mississippi online sports betting bill, renamed the “Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act,” passed through the House Gaming Committee on Tuesday, beginning its march to the House floor. The bill, which will require operators to be tethered to existing brick-and-mortar casinos, was introduced Monday by Rep. Casey Eure. It is one of four gambling bills that have been introduced in Jackson this session.
Mississippi was among the first states to launch legal retail sports betting in 2018, the summer after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned by the Supreme Court. At that time, the state did not need a new law to launch wagering. Consumers can bet at casino sportsbooks throughout the state. On-site mobile is also legal.
Lawmakers in the state have repeatedly tried to expand to add mobile wagering, but efforts have previously failed. The state’s Mobile-Online Gaming Task Force in December released a comprehensive study that outlined key factors in online wagering legislation and what the state has to gain from it.
A look at the parameters
HB 774 would set the legal betting age at 21 and names the Mississippi Gaming Commission as the regulator of online sports betting. The proposal allows for one skin per casino, meaning there could be approximately 30 betting apps tethered to commercial sportsbooks and three tethered to tribal casinos. Betting on professional and college sports as well as esports and “competitive video game events” would be legal. If it passes, the new law would be effective July 1.