New Mississippi Bill Would Authorize Mobile Sports Betting

The expansion to Mississippi’s legal sports betting industry would be very timely, as neighboring Louisiana is set to launch mobile sportsbooks on January 15.

JACKSON, Miss. – On Monday, the first day of the 2022 legislative session in Mississippi, Rep. Cedric Burnett introduced a bill that could have huge implications for the state’s sports betting industry.

HB 184 Authorizes Mobile Sports Betting In Mississippi

The bill – HB 184 – would authorize licensed operators to provide mobile sportsbook services in Mississippi, a change that has been several legislative sessions in the making.

Mississippi was one of the first states to regulate sports betting after the fall of PASPA in 2018; however, Mississippi’s sports betting industry is still missing a vital aspect – mobile sportsbooks.

Currently, legal sports betting in Mississippi is available but very limited. Mississippi does currently offer two mobile sports betting apps – the PRR Sports App (partnered with the Bok Homa Casino) and the BetMGM App (partnered with the Gold Strike Casino) – though they are only accessible when on-site at their affiliated casino.

The bill would move Mississippi’s sports betting industry from land-based only to full-service, a change that could not come soon enough for state officials. Over the last three legislative sessions, several similar bills have been introduced; however, none gained the necessary traction and they failed to move forward.

This time around may be a bit different, however, as one of the primary motivations behind the mobile sports betting bill is to keep up with their bordering states’ gaming industries – namely, Louisiana.

Louisiana To Launch Mobile Sports Betting By Mid-January

In November, Louisiana launched land-based sports betting at casinos throughout the state. The launch of Louisiana’s mobile sportsbooks has lagged behind somewhat, but regulators have set January 15 as the target launch date for the mobile sportsbooks.

If Louisiana were to successfully launch mobile sports betting by that time, Mississippi may lose out on millions in potential tax revenue as residents pile over the Louisiana border to participate in mobile sports betting. According to HB 184, the bill would take effect on July 1, 2022, meaning there would only be a few months of lost legal sports betting tax revenue if the bill were to pass.

The current legislative session ends on April 3.

If Mississippi fails to pass the newly-introduced bill, the state will be missing out on a considerable amount of tax revenue: states with both mobile and in-person sports betting, such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania, rake in over 90% of their total sports betting handle through online sportsbooks.

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Jerad Paparella

Jerad has been a welcomed addition to the LegalSportsBetting.com writing team. Covering topics regarding the expansion of sports betting in the US, Jerad focuses on legislative efforts, bill signings and other methods for sports betting legalization. Finishing his education as a college baseball player, Jerad has first-hand knowledge of competitive sports, paired with years of personal sports betting as well. As a political science major at the University of Central Florida, Jerad covers the political, legal, and legislative aspects of sports gambling without any issues.