Mississippi mobile sports betting bill moves forward
The Mississippi House appropriations committee has approved an amended sports betting bill.
US.- An online sports betting bill introduced in the Mississippi Legislature last month has passed the House committees on gaming and appropriations and will now move to the full chamber. It’s the fifth attempt by lawmakers to introduce online sports betting in the state.
House Bill 606, sponsored by Representative Casey Eure, chair of the House Gaming Committee, would amend section 97-33-1 of the Mississippi Code from 1972 to enable wagers on sports events online. Under the bill, land-based casinos in the state would be permitted to partner with one online operator each.
If the bill gains approval from the House and Senate, a Mobile Sports Betting Task Force would be established to study the issue and recommend legislation next session. The task force would have nine members, including three appointed by the gaming committee in each legislative chamber. The other three would be the executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, the commissioner of the Department of Revenue and the executive director of the Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association, or individuals designated by them.
Online betting would be taxed at the same rates as retail betting, which was approved in 2018. The previous attempt to legalise online sports betting in Mississippi was in January 2022, when Representative Cedric Burnett introduced House Bill 184 which would have amended the Mississippi Code to allow online sports betting for adult residents and visitors within the state’s borders.
