Mississippi state Senator Willie Simmons recently introduced SB 2667, the Gaming Control Act, that would legalize mobile or online sports betting from any location, effective July 1. Sports betting launched in August, with Mississippi Gaming Commission regulations allowing sports betting in-person or via a mobile platform only on-site at a casino.
Simmons’ proposal, currently in the Senate Finance Committee, defines a platform as “a person or entity that operates a sports pool or race book over the internet, including on websites and mobile devices, on behalf of the holder of a gaming license.
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a platform may determine whether to accept or reject wagers, determine the results of wagers and payout winning wagers.”
Current state regulations say: “Except for wagers placed through approved platforms, each licensee shall be required to comply with the regulation that no wager may be placed by, or on behalf of, any individual or entity or group, not present on a licensed vessel or cruise vessel.”
In addition, Simmons’ legislation would tax sports betting revenue from mobile and online platforms at 6 percent. Mississippi casino gambling has an effective tax rate of more than 11 percent.
Thanks to sports betting, analysts said statewide total gaming revenue grew by 1.7 percent in 2018 to $2.11 billion, an increase of $44 million year-over-year. But analysts said online and mobile sports betting could dramatically increase gambling revenue. In Mississippi, since a few casinos opened sports books in August, to 23 casinos opened by the end of last year, Mississippi’s sports betting handle was about $158 million, with winnings of nearly $15 million. According to a 2017 Oxford Economics study, the state’s sports betting market, limited to just retail wagering, could generate more than $3 billion in annual wagers—but with mobile/online betting, that handle could increase to more than $4 billion.
Nevada Gaming Control Board former Chairman Mark Lipparelli wrote in an op-ed, “Legislators should pass a new sports betting law to give sports betting in Mississippi the highest chance of success, which means making legal sport betting viable, convenient and profitable for the state by including mobile betting.”
Mississippi Gaming Commission Executive Director Allen Godfrey recently told Louisiana legislators he supports online and mobile sports betting.
“If you want to suppress illegal betting, mobile is the way to go,” Godfrey said. Louisiana state Senator Danny Martiny noted he believes when Louisiana legalizes sports betting, Mississippi will allow online and mobile wagering. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has stated he would approve online and mobile sports betting.
