Mississippi launched sports betting in August, 2018 but restricted wagering to on-property sites. Under new legislation filed by Rep. Cedric Burnett, limited mobile access could be included if the casinos desired, but the app would only work while bettors are physically at the casino.
To date, no casino has launched an app, Allen Godfrey, the executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, told the Biloxi Sun-Herald. Godfrey said the cost to launch the apps served as an impediment, especially when customers were already at the casino.
Burnett’s bill would allow any licensed casino to establish an online sports betting platform. The Mississippi Gaming Commission lists 24 current casino licensees, so the online market could be robust. Mobile sports bets would be taxed at 6 percent of revenue when operators report more than $134,000 in a month. Retail sports betting is typically taxed at 12 percent, with 8 percent to the state and 4 percent to the casino’s local government.
Outside Tennessee, which has yet to launch, none of Mississippi’s border states offer mobile sports betting. Arkansas only offers retail betting. That means the state could be getting tax revenue from sports bettors in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida and Louisiana. They would only have to cross into the state and complete the registration on their phone to begin placing bets.
The state took nearly $370 million in bets last year. That generated just $44.5 million in operator revenue and $5.3 million in tax revenue.
