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Mississippi was among the first states to authorize sports betting in two casino hubs following the US Supreme Court ruling to overturn decades of prohibition in 2018.
Since that time, the state has opted not to regulate mobile sports betting. That could soon change in 2024.
For now, DraftKings only operates a retail sportsbook at the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in D'Iberville, Mississippi while mobile wagering is available courtesy of offshore sportsbooks like BetUS and others.
The Scarlet Pearl Casino sportsbook looks nice. It's open Monday – Friday: 10AM – 10PM and Saturday-Sunday: 9AM – 10PM with some variations based on events. Watch your favorite games on 23 HD screens surrounding an astounding 144 square foot entertainment screen. Casino sportsbooks in Mississippi can offer mobile wagering provided individuals are placing bets on the property. Those 21 and up can wager whereas online sportsbooks like BetUS welcome those 18 and up.
Rep. Casey Eure (R) last year introduced HB 606, which resulted in the creation of the Mississippi mobile-sports betting task force to investigate the impact of online sports betting on the state. The task force has reviewed potential pros and cons. Now Eure says he is prepared to introduce new legislation in January.
“I will have a bill that I will introduce. I can’t sit here and tell you that this will pass the House, that I will be able to send it to the Senate. I wanted everyone to understand where I stood from day one,” he declared.
Prior attempts to pass mobile sports betting bills have failed.
It's a mixed bag when it comes to surrounding states embracing the activity. Tennessee was among the first to regulate sports gambling and is the only state to offer wagering online-only as Tennessee is not home to any retail gambling establishments. Louisiana recently legalized mobile betting with exceptions in a handful of sparsely populated parishes. North Carolina and Arkansas previously only offered in-person sports gambling. Both have since legalized the activity online.
Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama prohibit sports gambling both in-person and online. Florida remains in a holding pattern.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
