Mississippi seems to be falling behind Louisiana when it comes to sports betting legalization, which could deprive the state of millions worth of revenue. Revenue that is generated offshore or across the state border anyway, observers and proponents of the legalization movement. To avoid getting stuck in Mississippi on the wrong side of progress, legislators will have to step up their game.
Members of the Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association argue that because of the lack of a sports betting framework, casinos are already at a disadvantage, but this may soon be changed if WLOX, a local media, reports turn out to be true.
The House Gaming Committee Gets Cracking
According to the outlet, the House Gaming Committee is now busy at work to craft a mobile sports betting bill that would allow brick-and-mortar casinos to partner with third-party operators and launch sports betting gambling via apps.
Casey Eure, the House Gaming Committee chair, was cited by the media saying that when the committee passed sports betting it would be doing so the right way. The right way could refer to the importance of interactive wagering.
While the legalization of sports gambling has proven a contentious bone, getting things right from the start is paramount for the long-term success and prosperity of the state’s industry and stakeholders, and its competitiveness to that in other states.
One of the defining moments is making sure that bettors can place wagers remotely. In places such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, sports fans are placing their bets remotely, with some 90% of the total handle sent through mobile devices.
Mobile Sports Gambling to Protect Mississippi Casinos
Eure is confident that embracing innovation is a step forward for Mississippi and not progress to be feared. He, though, wants to couch the language of any future legislation in such terms that standalone sportsbooks would not be able to operate without first teaming up with a land-based casino in the state.
Eure agrees to the likes of FanDuel or DraftKings teaming up with one of the local casinos but is opposed to the idea of having mobile-only legislation that leaves the physical casinos out of the equation. As a result, any legislation that could come online with his help would specifically insist on tying up partnerships with local gambling operators.
He has already got started on a bill that is supposed to be submitted to the House Gaming Committee by January 1, 2022. To help shape the language of the bill, Eure has reached out to MGHA director Larry Gregory, and progress seems to have been made.