Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s removal of the ban on sports betting in May, Mississippi became the third state to allow it, starting in August. That month, the state collected $54,000 in sports betting revenue; in November, it collected $188,000. Since sports betting began in the state, bettors have wagered $116 million at Mississippi casinos, generating $1.03 million in tax revenue for the state, according to gaming commission figures. Most of Mississippi’s 28 casinos offer sports betting, said Mississippi Gaming Commission Executive Director Allen Godfrey.
Casinos pay a 12 percent tax on gambling revenue, including sports wagering earnings. Eight percent goes to the state and 4 percent to local host governments. In August, the legislature passed a measure diverting sports betting revenue from casino winnings to a transportation fund, which also receives money from the new state lottery.
Since July 1, the start of the current fiscal year, through November, casino revenue rose 5.5 percent to $55.7 million, compared to the same period in 2017. Officials said part of that increase is due to more people coming to casinos to place bets on sports. Casino tax collections account for about 5 percent of the total state general fund.
