A Mississippi online sports betting bill was passed through the Senate Gaming Committee on Thursday.
The Gaming Committee voted to pass House Bill 774 ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
However, with changes made to the bill from the version which passed through the House in February, it may return to the other chamber if passed by the full Senate before it adjourns on April 11.
If passed, The Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act would permit residents in the state aged 21 and over to bet legally on sports from mobile devices.
This would expand the state’s legal sports betting practices beyond Mississippi’s 26 brick-and-mortar casino locations.
But for operators to offer mobile sports betting, they will need to partner with a Mississippi-based casino.
Casinos would not be able to partner with multiple operators, but platforms could partner with multiple casinos. This means that in theory, a small number of operators could control all mobile sports betting in the state.
This bill includes a 12% tax levy, with tax revenue being diverted to a statewide emergency road and bridge repair fund.
Mississippi Online Sports Betting Bill Details
The decision to use tax revenue on the bridge and road repair fund was made by an amendment during the bill’s floor vote.
Adjusted sports betting revenue will feature a taxed tier system as follows:
- 4% of gross revenue not surpassing $50,000 per month
- 6% of gross revenue that surpasses $50,000, but does not surpass $134,000 per month
- 8% of gross revenue that surpasses $134,000 per month
Four percent of operators’ gross revenue will also go to the repair fund, as well as the 12% maximum of adjusted gross revenue depending on monthly figures.
These tax rates are estimated to bring in anywhere from $25 million to $35 million annually for the state of Mississippi.
There are currently 26 commercial dockside and land-based casinos across the state, each of which will soon be able to partner with a sports betting operator for mobile wagering.