Mississippi Online Sports Betting Bill Moves to House Floor

Sep 2, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Quinshon Judkins (4) reacts with Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen JJ Pegues (89) after a touchdown during the second half against the Mercer Bears at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY SportsThe Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act is moving to the House floorThe act was approved by the Gaming Committee earlier this weekIf approved, the bill will legalize online sports betting in the state

There are a number of Mississippi online sports betting bills being considered by state legislators this session and one is already moving to the House floor.

Rep. Casey Eure (R-116) introduced HB 774 earlier this week, known as the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act, and it was heard by the Gaming Committee yesterday. The committee approved the bill and effectively moved it to the House floor.

The bill will allow sports betting companies to partner with land-based casinos in the state to offer online sports betting.

Favorable Tax Rates in Mississippi

HB 774, like several others that have been introduced so far, proposes a tiered online sports betting tax rate. Here are the following rates per monthly gross sports betting revenue, according to the legislation:

4% of gross revenue not surpassing $50,000 per month6% of gross revenue that surpasses $50,000, but does not surpass $134,000 per month8% of gross revenue that surpasses $134,000 per month

Eure was a member of the Mississippi Mobile-Sports Betting Task Force and revealed at the first meeting in October that he would be introducing an online sports betting bill this session. Eure introduced a bill last year, HB 606, which was amended and passed to simply create the Mississippi mobile-sports betting task force to investigate the impact of online sports betting on the state.

There are currently 28 commercial dockside and land-based casinos in Mississippi. Under this bill, each would be eligible to partner with one sports betting company to offer online sports betting in the state. Online sports betting is technically legal in Mississippi, but it is only available for customers who are on casino property.

Eure’s bill is not the only sports betting bill pending in the House. Last week, Rep. Cedric Burnett (D-9) introduced bill HB 271 to the House, which features a similar tiered tax rate to Eure’s bill. Burnett’s bill is currently awaiting a hearing with the Gaming Committee.

Any sports betting bill likely faces an uphill battle for approval this year. A number of casino representatives have spoken out on the widespread legalization of online sports betting throughout Mississippi, as they believe an increased number of customers betting off-casino property will potentially decreasing gaming revenues, especially for the smaller state casinos.

Mississippi Sports Betting Task Force Estimates Millions in Revenue

The 13-member Mississippi Sports Betting Task Force met three times at the end of 2023 to explore the possibility of online sports betting legalization. At the end of December, the task force revealed its 95-page report, estimating the state could see upwards of $27.1 million in tax revenue by FY 2029.

The 13-member task forced presented several potential revenue models if online sports betting were to be legalized this year. Mississippi currently institutes an 8% tax rate on retail sports betting gross revenue totals. The task force estimated that an 8% tax on gross online sports revenue, which is the top-tier rate in Eure’s bill, would increase sports betting tax revenues from $5.1 million in FY 2025 to $12.6 million in FY 2029.