Mississippi Sports Betting
Mississippi was among the first wave of states to launch sports betting following the repeal of PASPA. Today, more than two dozen sportsbooks operate at casinos across the state. Mississippi and a few other states pre-authorized sports betting before the PASPA decision, setting the stage for a quick rollout after it’s repeal.
Mississippi sports betting law establishes a minimum age of 21 to participate and requires customers to place wagers in-person at licensed sportsbooks. State law only permits online sports betting in Mississippi to the extent that guests may place wagers from their mobile devices while physically located on casino property.
Legal Mississippi Betting Sites
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Full statewide online sports betting is not yet legal in Mississippi, but lawmakers have introduced numerous bills to date that would authorize the launch of online sportsbooks in Mississippi. Currently, the odds seem to favor mobile sports betting eventually coming to Mississippi.
Until Mississippi legalizes online sports betting, daily fantasy sports contests will continue serving as the closest alternative. All major daily fantasy sites offer their services to residents, and the Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) oversees licensed operators to ensure they treat customers fairly.
Mississippi Sports Betting Basics
The first Mississippi sportsbooks opened in August 2018, and many more have opened since. There are nearly 30 sportsbooks in operation, all licensed and regulated by the MGC or local tribal authorities.
Key things to know about Mississippi sports betting:
- Minimum age of 21 to participate
- Bettors must visit licensed sportsbooks and place wagers in person
- Mississippi does not have legal online sports betting
- Guests may only place mobile wagers when physically located on casino property
Mississippi Sports Betting Apps
Mobile sports betting is available to a limited extent in Mississippi. Under current laws, retail sportsbooks may offer online sports betting to customers who are physically located on casino property.
BetMGM Mississippi App
- Launched: September 2021
- Land-Based Partner: Beau Rivage Casino
- Expert Review: BetMGM Mississippi
The BetMGM Mississippi app launched in September 2021 and allows customers to place wagers from anywhere inside Beau Rivage Casino and Gold Strike Casino, excluding the hotel tower and parking lot. Bettors can download the BetMGM Sportsbook app from anywhere in Mississippi, but they can only place wagers when physically present on casino property.
BetMGM is now in the process of selling Gold Strike Tunica, but the sportsbook remains open for now. However, change is coming, and the BetMGM app will likely only be available to Mississippi bettors at Beau Rivage after the sale is completed in H1 2023.
Will Mississippi Legalize Statewide Mobile Betting?
The odds of Mississippi legalizing full-fledged online sports betting are favorable over the long term. In the meantime, bettors must visit land-based casinos to place wagers in-person or through mobile apps while located on casino property.
Lawmakers have introduced more than a dozen Mississippi online sports betting bills since 2020, including five in 2022. The first bill in 2022 appeared in early January, and it was followed by four additional bills. Similar efforts materialized in 2020 and 2021.
The various bills introduced so far in Mississippi are largely similar, with only minor differences in the details. For example, one bill expressly permitted wagers on esports events, while another would have required customers to register online betting accounts in-person at land-based casinos.
Every MS sports betting bill introduced to date has died early in the legislative process, but it’s clear there is a strong desire among some in the legislature to legalize online wagering.
And with online sports betting available in three neighboring states (Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee), pressure will continue to mount for Mississippi to join the party.
Although Mississippi has thus far been unable to get anything past the finish line, numerous online sportsbooks have everything in place to launch mobile betting should lawmakers pass a bill into law.
Operators such as FanDuel and BetMGM already manage retail sportsbooks in Mississippi, while others such as PointsBet have marketing agreements in place with local casinos to offer mobile betting if and when it becomes legal.
Mississippi Sportsbook Locations
How Mississippi Legalized Sports Betting
Legal sports betting came to Mississippi over two phases between 2017 and 2018. A fantasy sports bill passed in 2017 quietly legalized sports betting by including language repealing the state’s ban on sports betting.
The fantasy sports bill passed, but not without controversy. A faction of lawmakers opposed to sports betting realized they had unwittingly signed onto the legalization of sports betting and introduced a bill to reinstate the ban. However, that effort failed to gain traction, and sports betting has been legal in MS since.
The Supreme Court cleared the way for casinos to take advantage of the law by striking down PASPA, the federal law that prohibited sports betting in most states. The MGC approved regulations two months later to give casinos a path to launching retail sportsbooks.
Under the rules approved by the MGC, casinos may accept sports wagers after submitting an application to the MGC and receiving the approval of its Executive Director.
Mississippi Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports sites are legal in Mississippi and are regulated by the MGC.
Fantasy operators that serve more than 100 members of the public in any single calendar year must acquire MGC licenses, which involves passing an investigation and submitting to annual compliance audits.
In 2016, all fantasy sites temporarily exited the Mississippi market after the Attorney General issued an opinion stating that fantasy sports contests constitute illegal gambling. However, they returned later that year after lawmakers passed new legislation legalizing fantasy sports.
Mississippi Horse Racing Betting
Mississippi lacks a pari-mutuel racing industry, but horse racing betting is now legal at licensed sportsbooks.
Although it has an entrenched gambling industry, Mississippi never got around to legalizing pari-mutuel wagering at race tracks or OTBs. Legal horse racing betting only materialized after Mississippi officials adopted sports betting regulations in 2018.
Where to Bet on Horse Races in MS
In 2019, Palace Casino Resort in Biloxi became the first casino to offer pari-mutuel betting on races held around the country.
Palace Casino conducts horse racing betting in the pari-mutuel format, which means customers’ wagers are intermingled with the bets visitors place in-person at each track. Additional casinos later confirmed plans to add horse racing betting to their menus.
Mississippi Online Horse Racing Betting
Online horse racing betting is illegal in Mississippi. Licensed sportsbooks may only offer horse racing betting in person. To this day, state law prohibits advance deposit wagering websites from providing their services to Mississippi residents.
Lawmakers have considered extending current sports betting law to include online/mobile wagering, which may one day lead to online horse racing betting also becoming available.
Mississippi Online Gambling
Online gambling is illegal under Mississippi law. Online sports betting, online casinos, and poker sites are all outlawed in Mississippi. Daily fantasy sports and sweepstakes casinos remain the closest approximation to actual online gambling currently.
MS Code § 97-33-1 plainly and thoroughly outlaws participation in all forms of gambling that does not take place at a licensed facility:
Except as otherwise provided in Section 97-33-8, if any person shall encourage, promote or play at any game, play or amusement, other than a fight or fighting match between dogs, for money or other valuable thing, or shall wager or bet, promote or encourage the wagering or betting of any money or other valuable things, upon any game, play, amusement, cockfight, Indian ball play or duel, other than a fight or fighting match between dogs, or upon the result of any election, event or contingency whatever, upon conviction thereof, he shall be fined in a sum not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00); and, unless such fine and costs be immediately paid, shall be imprisoned for any period not more than ninety (90) days….
MS Code § 97-33-5 takes it one step further than most states by imposing additional fines on individuals convicted of illegal gambling equal to the amount of money won:
In a prosecution for gambling or gaming, in addition to penalties elsewhere provided, the jury shall find the amount won, and it shall be the duty of the court to enter judgment against the winning party for the amount so won, to be collected and paid over as fines.
Additional state laws make it a crime to host games of poker or allow poker games to take place on one’s property. One provision even calls for fines on people who witness illegal poker games and fail to report them to the authorities.
The Mississippi Gaming Commission offers further clarification on an FAQ page that addresses online gambling:
Is internet gambling legal?
No. Internet gambling is illegal under state law.
Online sites may advertise they are “legal” and “licensed” forms of gaming. They may be legal or licensed where the bets are received, but it is illegal to place bets from Mississippi with these businesses.
Lawmakers have mounted several efforts to legalize online gambling in Mississippi, but they have had no luck to date. Representatives introduced legislation to establish the Mississippi Lawful Internet Gaming Act in four successive years from 2012 to 2015, but their bills died in committee every time.
Mississippi Lottery
Mississippi was one of just six states without a lottery until the legislature approved a bill in August 2018 to establish a state lottery. The Senate and House approved the bill with a close vote to send it to Governor Phil Bryant for his signature.
Lawmakers said it could take as long as two years for the lottery to go live as they prepared to establish the Mississippi Lottery Corporation, appoint a board of directors, and put the finishing touches on the first games.
In the end, the lottery launched a bit earlier than expected, with the first scratch-off tickets going on sale in November 2019. The MS Lottery recorded more than $2.5 million in ticket sales within the first 24 hours.
The MS Lottery initially launched with instant win games only but added Powerball and Mega Millions tickets in early 2020 after joining the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL).
The MS Lottery has not yet approved online lottery sales, but state law does not explicitly outlaw the concept.
Revenue raised by the lottery is earmarked such that the first $80 million supports roads and bridges. Any revenue in excess of $80 million supports public education.
Customers must be 21 or older to purchase tickets, and winners may remain anonymous if they wish.