The Mississippi House has approved a second mobile sports betting bill in a 100-11 vote, advancing legalization of the vertical with a 22% tax rate and reducing the casino tax from 8% to 6%, a change valued at about $48 million for operators.
HB 4074 sets a 22% tax on mobile sports wagering revenue, higher than the existing 18.5% rate applied to in-person sportsbooks. Rep. Casey Eure, who introduced the bill last Tuesday, estimates the 22% rate could generate up to $100 million annually.
Under the bill, $50 million per year for 10 years would be allocated to the Public Employees’ Retirement System.
“By legalising mobile sports betting, we can eliminate much of the illegal market – including protecting underage bettors – and provide real consumer safeguards in a regulated environment,” Eure said heading into the session.
“This legislation will also give our brick-and-mortar casinos a new revenue stream to ensure their continued success, while the state revenue generated will help close the gap in funding for our Public Employees’ Retirement System.”
The reduction in the casino tax rate from 8% to 6% replaces a $6 million fund included in a previously passed House bill that was designed to assist smaller regional casinos with potential effects tied to online wagering.
Market access and operator limits
HB 4074 would allow each of the state’s 26 casinos to partner with one online sportsbook operator. An earlier House measure, HB 1581, permitted up to two online partners per casino.
Mississippi legalized sports betting in 2018, limiting wagering to casino properties. Mobile wagering remains unauthorized under current law.
Industry sources indicate that smaller regional casinos have raised concerns about larger gaming companies entering the state. Those operators have opposed online sports betting proposals in prior sessions.
Legislative background and Senate position
Eure introduced HB 4074 on Tuesday. The bill cleared the Ways and Means Committee before reaching the House floor for Wednesday’s vote.
Earlier this year, the House passed HB 1581, another mobile sports betting proposal from Eure. That measure has not advanced in the Senate. The House has now approved online sports betting legislation for the third consecutive year.
In 2024, after the Senate declined to move a House online sports betting bill, the House amended a Senate sweepstakes casino prohibition bill to include mobile wagering language. The measure later failed in conference committee. The Senate again passed a sweepstakes casino prohibition bill this month.
Sen. David Blount, chairman of the Senate Gaming Commission, has previously opposed mobile sports betting legislation. He has said mobile wagering does not align with the state’s objectives for legal gambling.
“The reason we have gaming in Mississippi is to encourage investment, to create jobs, and to grow tourism to bring other people from other places to Mississippi,” Blount said last year. “Mobile sports betting doesn’t do that.”
Blount also has said he would not consider online sports betting legislation unless requested by the Mississippi Gaming Commission. He has stated that additional revenue alone does not justify legalization.
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/03/02/117837-mississippi-house-approves-second-mobile-sports-betting-bill-with-casino-tax-rate-cut
