Mississippi’s bid to legalize online sports betting fails for the 2024 session

Efforts to legalize online sports betting in Mississippi have hit a roadblock as legislative negotiators failed to advance a final proposal until Monday night, effectively leaving mobile sports betting illegal in the state.

House Bill 774, which aimed to bring widespread online wagering to Mississippi, passed through the House but was amended in the Senate before stalling out in conference committee. The deadline passed without a final proposal for lawmakers to consider. The state's legislative session for 2024 ends on Sunday.

The bill would have allowed for about 30 sports betting apps, tethered to in-state casinos, and proposed a tax rate of 12%. However, concerns about the potential impact on the state’s casinos and the distribution of revenue ultimately hindered the bill's progress.

While Mississippi already permits legal retail sports betting, the failure of this legislation means that online betting will remain off-limits for the foreseeable future. Despite efforts to assuage concerns and detailed research conducted on the issue, including research by a dedicated sports betting task force, lawmakers were unable to reach a consensus before the end of the legislative session.

Although neighboring states like Louisiana offer legal online sports betting, Mississippi will not be joining them in 2024. The failure of similar legislation in other states, such as Georgia, highlights the challenges faced in expanding online sports betting across those states which still do not offer the practice in the US.