With sports betting legal in Mississippi for 12 months, Gaming Commission Executive Director Allen Godfrey said, “I guess, in a nutshell, my feeling is it was a great year from last August 1 to today. It’s been a very positive experience.” He explained, “Gross gaming revenue is up, the visitor count is up, the operators are very excited about what it’s done for them and their properties. More people are there going to the bars, restaurants, staying at hotels,” he said.
In fact, Godfrey noted, Harrah’s Gulf Coast and both MGM properties– Beau Rivage and Gold Strike—already have remodeled their sportsbooks. “They started that three or four months ago, not even all the way through the year,” he noted.
A Global Market Advisors study had projected Mississippi sports betting, with only on-site wagering, would generate handle of $180 million—however, Mississippi Gaming Commission figures indicated sports betting netted the state $4 million in revenue on $300 million in the first year. Godfrey said, “The numbers may not have been what somebody said they would be, but they weren’t that far off. If you look at the gross gaming revenue for the state, we’re up, four or five percent. That’s pretty good.” Sports revenue betting is taxed at 8 percent by the state and 4 percent locally.
Godfrey said handle could easily surpass $300 million in the next 12 months. In the first seven months of 2019, it reached $157 million—before college and professional football seasons had begun. In September through December 2018, bettors placed $150.83 million in wagers. The last of Mississippi’s 23 sportsbooks didn’t open until November. Handle in July was $13.4 million, down from $15.2 million in Jun, not surprising in a state where so many people are college football fanatics, .Godfrey said.
The lack of mobile betting continues to be an issue. Godfrey said he’d like to see it offered so Mississippi to keep up with competitors Tennessee, the only mobile-only sports betting state, and Arkansas, which launched sports wagering earlier this year. Godfrey said he expects Louisiana to legalize sports betting in the not-too-distant future. “Yes, I do think there will be a push from the industry for mobile wagering. You know how it takes a while, you gotta keep pushing and eventually it will get there,” he said.
