The Mississippi House has introduced House Bill 774, which aims to expand the state’s sports betting market to include online wagering.
Currently, players in Mississippi can only place bets at retail facilities located at land-based casinos, as stipulated by laws passed in 2018.
HB774, sponsored by eight state representatives, has passed the House with a vote of 98-14 and will now proceed to the Senate for further consideration.
The bill allows all 26 land-based casinos in Mississippi to offer online sports betting, in addition to their existing retail sportsbooks.
Each casino will be permitted to partner with one licensed platform to provide online wagering services.
No specific application fee is mentioned in the bill, but it states that the renewal fee for a manufacturer’s license will be $1,000 and for a seller’s or distributor’s license will be $500.
The bill proposes a tiered tax structure, with rates ranging from 4% to 8%, based on the gross revenue generated by each licensee.
To place bets, players must be at least 21 years old and can do so from anywhere within the state of Mississippi.
If approved by the Senate and enacted into law, the bill will become effective on July 1st of this year.
Several other bills related to sports betting are currently under consideration in Mississippi, including HB271 and HB635.
Last year, HB606 became law and established a sports betting task force to analyze the viability of sports betting in the state.
While initially aiming for a broader scope, HB606 was scaled back in committee, unlike HB774 which seeks to allow all casinos to offer online betting.
Mississippi is surrounded by neighboring states that already have legalized online wagering, such as Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
The only neighboring state without a legal online betting market is Alabama.
