For the third year in a row, the Mississippi House has sent the Senate a bill to expand sports betting by allowing it online.
On Wednesday, House members advanced the online legalisation bill, HB 1581, by a 84-31 vote. A similar piece of legislation was sent to the Senate last year, but it died as lawmakers in the upper chamber expressed concerns about land-based casino revenue cannibalisation and gambling addiction.
Prior to passage, lawmakers amended the bill to include a $600 million transfer for the state’s underfunded pension system from the state’s general fund. The amendment aims to help supplement the future contributions from sports betting taxes, a component added this year to help sway the Senate. Sponsors believe the extra pension funds could be enough to get the bill over the finish line.
Still, a key figure in the Senate has expressed his doubts this year. Senator David Blount, chairman of the Senate Gaming Commission, has opposed mobile sports betting legalisation in the past. This year, he has not considered a mobile sports betting proposal in his committee.
Blount said this year the potential online sports betting revenue is not enough to justify legalisation. He previously said he would not consider an online sports betting proposal unless the Mississippi Gaming Commission asked for one.
After the House’s sports betting measure died last year, the House amended a sweepstakes casino prohibition bill to add online sports betting language. The bill died in conference committee. This year, a new sweepstakes casino prohibition bill is on the move in Mississippi.
Mississippi was one of the first states to legalise sports betting, albeit just in person at casinos, in 2018. The legislature created the Mobile Online Sports Betting Task Force in 2023.
Online Mississippi sports betting proposal details
Sponsor Rep Casey Eure told the House that Mississippi residents have attempted to place 10 million online wagers since September 2025, many from across state borders. Eure estimated the state is missing up to $80 million a year in tax revenue.
“These are Mississippi residents crossing into other states, and the outcome of that is that Mississippi receives zero tax revenue, there’s zero oversight, zero consumer protection against these people placing bets, and problem gambling goes undetected and unmanaged,” Eure said.
HB 1581 would allow the state’s existing brick-and-mortar casinos to partner with up to two online sportsbook platforms. To help mitigate cannibalisation concerns from smaller regional casinos, Eure has proposed creating a $6 million fund for casinos potentially affected. That fund would be replenished annually from the sports betting taxes until 2030.
Industry sources tell iGB the state’s independent casinos have sway with lawmakers and are concerned about larger gambling companies infiltrating the state’s industry.
Brandt Iden, vice president of government affairs at Fanatics Betting & Gaming, said states that would be expanding existing forms of gambling could be the ones most likely to approve legalisation bills this year. While that includes states like Mississippi, roadblocks remain that have prevented states from expanding in previous years.
“Expansion to [Mississippi] online sports betting is not easy, lots of hurdles, but a bill has moved out of the House the past two years,” Iden said. “Again, there’s an issue in the Senate, but lots of discussion and lawmakers are aware of the issue.”
Pat Evans
Pat covers the legislation and regulation of online gambling in North and South America, having covered the US sports betting industry extensively since 2019.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/sports-betting/online-sports-betting/house-mississippi-online-sports-betting-passage-third-year/
