- Mississippi’s House Gaming Committee has announced that they are working on a bill to legalize and regulate mobile sports betting.
- The House Gaming Committee Chairman, Rep. Casey Eure, said that protecting brick and mortar sportsbooks was a priority when crafting the bill.
JACKSON, Miss. – Mississippi sports bettors may soon be able to bet online at Mississippi-based sportsbooks, as the Mississippi House Gaming Committee has announced that they are currently working on a mobile sports betting bill.
Mississippi was one of the first states to launch sports betting following the overturn of PASPA, though legal sports betting is only available at land-based sportsbooks in the state.
One of the main sticking points for mobile sports betting legalization in Mississippi has been a desire to protect the state’s land-based sportsbooks. The Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Organization has long held the view that online sports betting will harm land-based sportsbooks’ bottom lines.
Rep. Casey Eure, chair of the House Gaming Committee, said of the matter: “When we pass mobile sports betting, we’ll do it the right way. I want to make sure we can protect our brick-and-mortars. If they want to team up with DraftKings or FanDuel, that’s fine.”
It seems as though the legislation, though still in the works, will prioritize land-based sportsbooks over mobile sportsbooks, and require them to be tethered to an already-licensed brick-and-mortar facility.
Part of the push to get a mobile sports betting bill past the finish line is the imminent launch of neighboring Louisiana’s mobile sports betting industry. Mississippi and Louisiana have been locked into a battle over gaming revenue, with Louisiana’s mobile sports betting industry a selling point for the state’s gaming industry.
After speaking with the Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Organization, Eure is confident he will have a bill ready to propose to the House Gaming Committee by January 1, 2022.
