Another effort to legalize online sports betting sites in the Magnolia State is brewing, but not everyone in Mississippi is clamoring for increased access to event wagering.
Members of Mississippi’s so-called “Mobile-Online Sports Betting Task Force” met Tuesday to hear from representatives from the local gaming industry and beyond.
While opinions differed on the merits of adding a mobile component to Mississippi sports betting, it’s evident another attempt to legalize an online element is coming,
“I've already publicly said that I will have a bill that I will introduce,” said Rep. Casey Eure, one of the co-chairs of the task force. “So I think the next meeting is where we're going to sit down and just talk about the nuts and bolts of the bill. I’ve told many of you who are opposed to this, ‘Look, I understand your position. However, let's talk about if you're going to have to see a bill, this is what you could like to see in it.’”
Mississippi's “Mobile-Online Sports Betting Task Force" just heard from @GeoComply's John Pappas that the company identified and helped block more than 1.72M attempts in the southern state to use legal online sportsbooks elsewhere since the start of the football season. pic.twitter.com/XREf2ZAgfP
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) October 24, 2023
There is legal sports betting in Mississippi but it is confined to brick-and-mortar casino properties run by commercial and tribal operators. Statewide mobile sports betting is not yet allowed in the state, although BetMGM is available on the grounds of the Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica.
The lack of online sports betting sites is why, even though Mississippi launched event wagering in 2018, it remains one of the smaller markets in the U.S. In September, for instance, Mississippi sports betting handle was $51.6 million, while in similarly-sized Kansas, which has statewide mobile wagering, bookmakers took nearly $220 million in action.
But the wheels are in motion to change the state of play in Mississippi.
A bill creating the task force — sponsored by Eure — was passed by the legislature and approved by the governor in March. The committee’s mandate is to “undertake a comprehensive analysis of all matters related to online sports betting within this state,” and it was legally required to hold its first meeting within 60 days of the law taking effect, which happened July 1. Findings and recommendations must be submitted to the legislature by December 15.
Yet the task force is already poised for pushback from some local casino operators, even if others want mobile sports betting, which is where the bulk of event wagering now happens.
“We believe it is a meaningful opportunity to grow the state's gaming industry, generate new tax revenue, and ensure responsible gaming measures are in place to create a safe and trusted wagering environment,” said Jason Tosches, director of public affairs and government relations at PENN Entertainment Inc., which operates five casinos in Mississippi. “In fact, a significant majority of Mississippi casinos are in favor of online sports betting.”
Food and beverage worries
The task force also heard from a representative of GeoComply Solutions Inc., which helps online sportsbooks determine the location of bettors. According to John Pappas, GeoComply’s senior vice president of government and public affairs, the company has identified and helped block more than 1.72 million Mississippi-based attempts to access legal sportsbooks outside the state since the start of this football season.
Still, if most casinos support the legalization of online sports betting sites, the minority is making itself heard loud and clear about its opposition.
“If mobile sports betting is approved, I'm not suggesting that there won't be an increase in sportsbook revenue — there probably will be,” said Susan Varnes, president and chief operating officer of Treasure Bay Casino and Hotel in Biloxi. “But at what cost to the ancillary gaming revenue, as well as the food and beverage outlets, the hotel, and the other amenities that we offer at our casinos? That's the question and the concern we have.”
The task force plans to meet again on November 13.
