When the bills left the senate, neither was about legalising digital sports betting. But both passed the full house Tuesday (11 March) and bill sponsor Casey Eure says it’s time to negotiate.
One of the bills originally addressed tidelands. The other addressed fines for platforms operating illegally in the state. Language from a dead house digital wagering bill was put into the tidelands bill.
Retail betting has been legal in Mississippi’s casinos since 2018, but attempts since then to add the type of mobile betting available in other states have been rebuffed.
“It’s a possibility” that tidelands will not get addressed this year if the senate fails to take up mobile sports betting, Eure said, according to the Clarion-Ledger. “But the house’s position is on mobile sports betting. We’re concerned about tidelands, but at this point, it’s all about negotiating.”
Whether the tactic will work is unclear, as the senate gaming committee has not considered digital sports betting this year. Eure inserted the language into the senate bills because the crossover deadline has passed. Only bills that have already crossed from one chamber to the other are currently in play. Mississippi’s legislature is set to adjourn 6 April.
Casinos would get two skins each
SB 2381 still does address tidelands, including assessments that casino boats would have to pay for building on them. But at the end, new sections that define internet gambling were added. Per the proposal, existing casinos would be entitled to up to two digital skins that can be used for online sportsbooks or racebooks. The legislation would allow for a full menu of bets, including in-play betting and proposition bets, and would set the legal age at 21. No tax rate is indicated.
Local casinos, many owned by regional companies like Churchill Downs Inc. and Penn Entertainment, oppose the measure. Both companies have lobbied against gaming expansions to add online casino in multiple states over the last year, including in neighboring Louisiana. They say the digital component will hurt their retail businesses. According to the Clarion-Ledger, eight companies involved in brick-and-mortar casinos in Mississippi oppose the legislation.
“A state-wide expansion of gaming, with no local referendums, putting a casino in the hands of every person in Mississippi, no matter where they are located (homes, schools, churches) … This is not the right vision for gaming in Mississippi,” according to a letter from the casino industry.
Digital sports betting has been a tough issue in Mississippi, which was the third state to start taking bets at brick-and-mortar casinos after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned in 2018. Since then, Eure has been at the forefront of trying to expand the state’s offerings.
Mississippi isn’t only state considering sweeps ban
SB 2510 passed out of the senate 13 February and did include language to ban “online sweepstakes casinos”. It also addresses fines for illegal gambling. Those operating such platforms would be subject to a fine up to $100,000 and/or up to 10 years in jail if convicted. The company’s licence to operate in Mississippi would be revoked.
Legislatures across the US have been discussing banning online sweepstakes games. A bill to do that had a hearing in Maryland 11 March, with no decision. Lawmakers in Florida and other states are also considering the issue, though none have enacted legislation.
Sweepstakes, the online games that are unregulated, have arisen as a key issue in the gambling industry over the last six months. Regulators and other government agencies in some states have sent letters to sweepstakes companies directing them to cease operations.
