Mississippi Sweepstakes Casinos
Sweepstakes casinos are the closest alternative to legal online gambling available in Mississippi today, but the lineup has shrunk in recent times amid mounting legal pressure from state regulators.
Several major sweepstakes brands, including Chumba Casino and Pulsz Casino, have either left the market entirely or no longer offer real prize redemptions in Mississippi.
Nonetheless, a handful of prominent sweepstakes casinos still accept Mississippi players today. See our detailed reviews below for more about the most reputable remaining brands in Mississippi:
- Casino.click Review
- WOW Vegas Casino Review
- Stake.us Casino Review
- Ace.com Review
Are Sweepstakes Casinos Legal in Mississippi?
Mississippi law does not explicitly address online sweepstakes casinos, and the legislature’s two attempts to ban them both failed. That is where the good news ends for sweepstakes casinos in Mississippi.
The Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) contends that casino-style gaming is illegal unless it occurs inside a licensed facility. In June 2025, the MGC sent cease-and-desist letters to ten companies it described as “illegal online gambling operators.” One of the recipients was Chumba Casino, one of the nation’s most well-known sweepstakes casinos.
Operators still active in Mississippi contend that the “no purchase necessary” business model removes the element of consideration required for an activity to qualify as gambling.
No court has tested that legal theory in Mississippi, but the MGC steadfastly argues that sweepstakes casinos constitute illegal online gambling under state law.
A June 2025 MGC public notice stated that “there are no legal exceptions for so-called ‘sweepstakes casinos.’” Furthermore, the notice addressed and explicitly rejected the “no purchase necessary” legal theory with this:
“While some games might be advertised as free to play, if there is an opportunity for the player to provide consideration and win something of value, and an element of chance exists in the game outcome, it is gaming under Mississippi law.”
Mississippi Nearly Banned Sweepstakes Casinos in 2025 and 2026
In 2025 and 2026, the Senate approved bills that would have made operating or promoting sweepstakes casinos a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $100,000 in fines.
SB 2510 (2025) and SB 2104 (2026) both died after the House amended both bills to add language legalizing statewide online sports betting.
In other words, bills crafted for the express purpose of banning sweepstakes casinos passed full Senate votes in Mississippi twice. Those bills only ran into resistance after the House attached unrelated and controversial provisions to both.
Mississippi Has Banned A Sweepstakes Model Once Before
The “it’s a sweepstakes so it’s not gambling” loophole isn’t new to Mississippi lawmakers.
In 2013, lawmakers enacted legislation (now at MS Code § 97-33-8) to shut down internet sweepstakes cafes, which were businesses that sold internet time or phone cards bundled with entries into casino-style sweepstakes played on in-store monitors.
Although the law clearly targeted physical storefronts, parts of it could still apply to today’s sweepstakes casinos. The statute defines an “electronic video monitor” as any device “capable of displaying still or moving images,” which is a definition that could apply to every phone or computer in Mississippi.
The law also states that payment for a product or service associated with the “simulated gambling program” qualifies as consideration. In other words, Mississippi lawmakers rejected the “players are paying for something else” defense on paper years before online sweepstakes casinos went mainstream.
However, it’s unclear if local authorities could apply the law to modern sweepstakes sites. Its stated purpose is to clarify that internet sweepstakes cafes are illegal, and the prohibition applies to whoever owns or operates the video monitor.
That language fits a shop owner with a room full of terminals far better than a website displayed on a phone the operator has never touched. The statute also exempts marketing promotions tied to a genuine product or service, which is exactly what sweepstakes casinos claim to be.
What This Means for Players
Mississippi sweepstakes casinos operate without any state oversight, and the MGC’s 2025 public notice actually threatened players with criminal prosecution for “engaging with any online site that offers gambling opportunities.”
There’s no history of state authorities prosecuting an individual player for gambling online, and it’s unclear if sweepstakes casinos meet the state’s legal definition of “gambling” despite the MGC’s warnings.
Even so, the MGC’s position makes it riskier to gamble online in Mississippi than in other states with similar laws that may or may not apply to players.
The Chumba Casino exit also demonstrated that any operator, even mainstream brands, can leave on short notice. Players who choose to play sweepstakes games online should stick with established brands, redeem winnings promptly, and avoid stacking a large Sweeps Coin balance on any one platform.
Mississippi Online Gambling Laws
Mississippi law does not ban “online casinos” by name, but broad language in its gambling provisions targets all unauthorized gambling from two directions.
First, MS Code § 97-33-1 makes it a crime to bet money on any game or sport outside of specific exceptions. Second, the Mississippi Gaming Control Act limits legal gambling to the premises of approved establishments.
Together, those provisions effectively ban online gambling for both players and operators. They are also the same rules that confine Mississippi online sportsbooks to casino property.
Additionally, MS Code § 87-1-5 raises the financial stakes for unauthorized online casinos in Mississippi. The statute allows anyone who loses money gambling (or their spouse or children) to sue the party that knowingly received it and recover the losses plus court costs. The law’s only exceptions apply to licensed gambling activity.
Will Mississippi Legalize Online Casinos?
Although Mississippi has some favorable factors as a legalization candidate, all signs currently point toward online casinos remaining illegal for the foreseeable future.
The legislature authorized land-based casinos through the Mississippi Gaming Control Act in 1990, and it would be relatively simple to amend the same act to permit online gambling. Additionally, Mississippi already has an experienced regulator and an established casino industry that could supply the licensing partners for national online gambling brands.
The primary challenge that any online casino proposal faces is a lack of political will. Recent efforts to legalize online sports betting have stalled over revenue cannibalization concerns, negative impacts on tourism, and reduced employment.
Online casinos would only elevate those concerns by putting the same slots and table games found inside Mississippi casinos on phones statewide. If lawmakers cannot agree on online sports betting, a full-fledged online casino bill faces an even steeper uphill climb.
2026 Mobile Betting Bill Kept Online Casinos Illegal
Mississippi’s 2026 Mobile Sports Wagering Act (HB 1581) incidentally demonstrated where online casinos sit on the legislature’s list of priorities.
Although the bill’s primary purpose was to legalize statewide online sports betting, it also included language reinforcing the state’s stance on online gambling:
“…all forms of interactive gaming are expressly prohibited and are illegal in the State of Mississippi.”
The House passed HB 1581 before it died in a Senate committee, but the takeaway for Mississippi online casino proponents is sobering. Even Mississippi lawmakers who support online sports betting are not remotely interested in authorizing online casinos.
Market Potential of Mississippi Online Casinos
Legal Mississippi online casinos could plausibly generate $500 million to $870 million in annual revenue at market maturity.
Mississippi has one of the country’s most established gambling markets, with commercial casinos generating $2.43 billion in gaming revenue in 2025. Spread across a population of roughly 2.9 million, that works out to nearly $840 in casino revenue per resident.
There’s clearly a healthy appetite for gambling in Mississippi, but a significant portion of the state’s land-based casino revenue comes from visitors. Mississippi’s Gulf Coast casinos draw tourists from across the South, while Tunica exists largely to serve the Memphis metro.
In contrast, Mississippi online casinos would generate the vast majority of their revenue from residents, so the state’s land-based revenue numbers overstate its home audience.
Still, multiple indicators point toward a healthy online gambling market. A 2024 Vixio GamblingCompliance study estimated that legal Mississippi online casinos could generate about $487 million in annual revenue at market maturity.
Depending on whether Mississippi lawmakers adopted tax rates similar to New Jersey, Michigan, or Pennsylvania, the report projected annual tax revenue ranging from $85 million to $160 million.
Mississippi’s higher-end projections come from extrapolating from New Jersey’s numbers, where online casinos generated roughly $300 per resident in 2025. If Mississippi online casinos hit a similar per-resident figure at market maturity, that would work out to annual revenue of around $870 million.
Caveat: these projections are rough and come from simplified metrics. Still, the numbers from every other state with legal online casinos suggest that Mississippi wouldn’t struggle to generate at least $500 million in annual online gambling revenue.
Mississippi Online Casinos FAQ
Wes Burns has more than a decade's worth of experience as a writer, researcher and analyst in the legal gambling industry and is co-founder of BettingUSA.com. As a former professional online poker player, Wes approaches his work from the viewpoint of players.