Mississippi Senate Rejects Amended Bill on Sweepstakes Casino Ban and Sports Betting

prohibiting sweepstakes casinos. However, by the end of March, that same bill had failed to move forward after being sent back to the Senate.

Senate Bill 2510, introduced by Sen. Joey Fillingane, ultimately failed in conference after missing the deadline for reporting bills out of committee. The proposed legislation sought to impose stricter penalties on those operating or promoting unauthorized gambling, explicitly banning digital sweepstakes casinos and upgrading offenses related to these activities to felonies.

The Senate initially ed the measure with unanimous in February, but without any provisions related to sports betting. However, once it moved to the House, legislators added language that would have permitted existing retail casinos to partner with online sportsbooks or racebooks under a 12% tax structure. The House overwhelmingly approved the amended version before returning it to the Senate, where lawmakers declined to adopt the modified bill and instead requested a conference committee with House .

Sports Betting Provision Failed to Gain Senate Approval

The addition of sports betting provisions marked a notable departure from the bill’s original focus. This amendment followed a pattern observed in previous years, where efforts to legalize online sports betting in Mississippi repeatedly faced resistance.

In 2023, a House-led sports betting bill failed after being revised in the Senate, ultimately dying in conference. Earlier this legislative session, Rep. Casey Eure introduced a separate bill, HB 1302, which sought to legalize online sports betting. That measure ed the House by a significant margin but was later stalled in the Senate Gaming Committee.

To address concerns raised in previous attempts, Eure adjusted his proposal this year by allowing casinos two online sportsbook partnerships instead of one. Additionally, the revised bill introduced a Retail Sports Wagering Protection Fund, which aimed to allocate $6 million annually from sports betting tax revenue to smaller casinos that lacked online sportsbook deals. Despite these adjustments, the Senate remained unconvinced and did not advance the measure.

Eure has highlighted estimates suggesting that Mississippi loses between $40 million and $80 million annually by not legalizing online sports betting. However, given the challenges sports betting legislation has faced in the past, combining it with a sweepstakes casino ban late in the legislative process was always seen as an uphill battle. With the ing of the conference committee deadline, the measure has now officially failed.

SB 2510 Proposed Strict Penalties for Sweepstakes Casinos

Although SB 2510 did not provide a specific definition for sweepstakes casinos, it classified them as unlicensed operators. Under the bill’s provisions, individuals engaged in illegal online gambling operations would have faced felony charges, with penalties reaching up to $100,000 in fines or up to ten years in prison.

The bill also included language stating: “If any person shall operate an online platform that facilitates illegal wagering, such person shall be guilty of a felony. Upon each conviction, a person shall be fined in a sum not more than One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), or shall be imprisoned for a term of years not to exceed ten (10) years, or by both fine and imprisonment.”

In addition, the legislation specified that assets connected to illegal gambling operations could be seized by the state or local jurisdictions where violations occurred.

The House’s amendments to SB 2510 also sought to introduce a 12% tax rate on sports betting and allow up to two online skins per retail casino. The proposed Mobile Sports Wagering Tax Fund was set to receive $6 million annually until 2030 to provide financial to smaller casinos.

Regulatory Action Against Sweepstakes Casinos Still Possible

With SB 2510 now defunct, any future efforts to regulate sweepstakes casinos or introduce online sports betting in Mississippi will need to wait until the next legislative session. For now, players using platforms like Stake.us or Crown Coins Casino can continue their activities without immediate regulatory intervention.

However, Mississippi regulators still have the authority to take action against sweepstakes casinos, such as issuing cease-and-desist orders. As for sports betting, Mississippi residents can legally place wagers, but only at physical casino locations, as online sports wagering remains unapproved.

Mississippi s several states—including Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York—in introducing legislation aimed at prohibiting sweepstakes casinos this year. In New Jersey, Assembly Bill A5447 recently gained a second sponsor and a counterpart bill in the state Senate. Similarly, in New York, Sen. Joseph Addabbo’s SB S9226 prompted multiple sweepstakes gaming operators, including Hello Millions, High 5 Casino, and Rolling Riches, to announce their departure from the state.

Source:

‘’Mississippi’s anti-sweepstakes and pro-sports betting bill is dead’’, sbcamericas.com, April 01, 2025.