Mississippi House Chairman kills Jackson casino bill just moments before floor vote

A proposal to bring a resort and casino to downtown Jackson was killed Wednesday just moments before it was set for a full vote in the Mississippi House of Representatives, Mississippi Today reports.

House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, made a successful motion to table House Bill 1879, effectively ending its chances of passage. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Bell, D-Jackson, aimed to grant a casino license in exchange for a minimum $500 million investment in Jackson’s Capitol Complex Improvement District.

The decision to halt the bill came as Bell was addressing concerns from lawmakers who feared competition from a Jackson casino would negatively impact existing gambling establishments in their districts, the report said.

“We didn’t have the votes,” Lamar argued. “We felt like it was worth a conversation. Last year it got brought up in committee and didn’t get brought out of committee. This year it made it out of committee and got brought out to the floor."

Under current Mississippi law, casinos can only be built along the Mississippi River, the Gulf Coast, or on Native American land. House Bill 1879 would have changed that by allowing a casino to be constructed within one mile of the state Capitol.

“This is an opportunity for the city of Jackson to take advantage of opportunities that have been passed over for several years now,” Bell said. “This act provides economic stimulus to the city of Jackson and developers who want to come inside the city of Jackson.”

A report from Visit Jackson, the city’s tourism organization, projected the casino resort could attract more than four million visitors annually, create over 6,700 jobs, and generate more than $70 million per year for Mississippi’s economy.

In addition to the casino, the bill included tax incentives for developers to restore blighted properties in Jackson, offering a 25% tax credit on construction costs.

The bill faced heavy opposition from lawmakers representing districts with existing casinos, who argued a Jackson casino would hurt business in their areas. House Minority Leader Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, said he wouldn’t support a plan that could damage river casinos.

“I’ll do anything I can to help the city of Jackson, but I’m not going to destroy markets on the river,” Johnson said. “Jackson needs a lot of things. I don’t think a casino solves their problems.”

The bill included provisions to offset potential losses for Vicksburg’s casinos but did not extend similar protections to Natchez.

Bell, also a Democrat, said that Jackson has missed out on economic development opportunities that other regions of the state have benefited from.

A 2024 House bill to allow a Jackson casino failed after blindsiding the Senate, gaming regulators, and the casino industry. Critics said it appeared to favor a specific developer, possibly linked to former Gov. Haley Barbour, who had been lobbying for the project.

Conrad Ebner, one of its authors, said this year’s bill was written to avoid favoritism. Lamar also confirmed multiple developers were already interested.

Another bill, which would have raised Mississippi’s casino tax from 12% to 16%, also died with Wednesday’s deadline.