Betting Revenue Reports Show The Importance Of Mobile Sports Betting

• Mississippi sportsbooks were able to make some kind of revenue in the last nine days of May when retail locations opened.
• Illinois’ first mobile sportsbook launch on Thursday allowed for plenty of business and interest by gamblers in the state.
• Time and time again, mobile sports betting platforms have proven to be the most lucrative and most popular way to gamble on sports.

CHICAGO – Mississippi and Illinois are prime examples of how mobile sports betting brings states revenue hand over fist when compared to retail sportsbooks.

Mississippi does not currently allow their residents to place bets on sporting events with the use of mobile or internet platforms. They are strictly a legal land-based sportsbook only state.

This has severely restricted their revenue profits as casinos and sportsbooks have been shut down due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The Mississippi Gaming Commission released their sports wagering report for the month of May.

April saw no action due to establishments being closed with the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the reopening was able to see some money brought in.

For the last nine days in May, gamblers were able to place legal bets on sports, mostly overseas match ups like soccer but in nine days, $236,503 was wagered.

That amounted to $87,697 in sports betting revenue for Mississippi.

May 2019 saw $1.2 million in revenue but that was with a normal sports betting market sans a pandemic, making it an unfair comparison.

Illinois And The Nation

Other states that have legal mobile sports betting have been able to continue receiving some type of revenue even with the nationwide lockdowns.

Bettors have been placing money on obscure events that sportsbooks began to offer amid the hiatus from most major sports matchups.

Normally, Illinois gamblers would need to sign up with in-person registration per state law but because casinos have been closed indefinitely, Governor J.B. Pritzker waived that rule until retail sportsbooks open up again.

This has given Illinois sports betting hobbyists the ability to sign up from their homes.

BetRivers.com became the first mobile sportsbook in Illinois history, launching on Thursday with Rivers Casino and Rush Street Interactive (RSI).

Gamblers flocked to the mobile sports betting platform as soon as it launched, wagering 78% of their money on European soccer tournaments.

The other bets went to the PGA and Korean baseball.

The interest alone shows that mobile sports betting is something that should be seriously considered by states like Mississippi that only allow for retail sports betting. They are losing money without allowing for the option.

Illinois made that clear with its first day of mobile business being so popular.

Colorado has realized the importance of mobile sports betting and has upwards of 20 separate online sports betting operators that will be open for business by the Fall.

More than half are already taking wagers and doing well, all things considered. Their market is slated to spike tremendously once all companies are in business and regular sports are back on track.

Mobile sports betting has always been the most popular form of sports betting once it entered the gambling game.

For states not to have it available only hurts them by way of lost revenue as Mississippi reports can attest. Sports bettors will always find a way to place bets which is why so many states are contemplating legalization of the pastime as they know this to be fact.

While knowing this, they should now be aware that mobile and online sportsbooks are crucial in the legalization process as well. Especially in times like these with the Coronavirus when revenue is needed now more than ever and can be had through legal mobile sportsbook outlets.

News tags: Colorado | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Illinois | J.B. Pritzker | Mississippi | Mississippi Gaming Commission | Richard Schwartz | Rivers Casino | Rush Street Interactive