Sports wagering is off and running in the state of Mississippi, with the Magnolia State offering legal sports wagers to those located in the state at this time. But while Mississippi sportsbooks are already offering action, the attention in this state is being paid to whether or not additional sports gambling privileges will be extended to those who are located there. In this guide to Mississippi sports betting, find out what types of sports wagering are currently legal and whether or not there are any plans to expand on them.
Bettors in Mississippi are able to wake on a large number of real money sports betting options, thanks to a large pool of sports to choose from. Given the popularity of Ole Miss and Mississippi State college sports, college football and basketball might be the most beloved sports to wager on.
In addition to college football and March Madness, Mississippi sports bettors are able to wager on the NFL from the preseason through the Super Bowl. They can also wager on professional games in the NBA, MLB, NHL and sports like soccer, horse racing and tennis.
As far as the betting markets within those sports are concerned, Mississippi sportsbooks have plenty to offer. Bettors can place straight bets, parlay wagers and teasers. And beyond the standard spreads, totals and moneylines, bettors can take on a diverse range of prop bets while attempting to earn payouts in this state.
The sportsbook options in Mississippi are disappointing to those who want to do some mobile sports betting from outside of a specific physical location. That is because online sportsbooks are not permitted in the state, with online betting only permitted at a limited number of places where physical sports wagering takes place.
Mobile betting has become incredibly popular over the years, with sportsbooks like William Hill, MGM and DraftKings expanding into several states with their betting sites. But until mobile betting is permitted throughout Mississippi, those sportsbooks and other popular sportsbook brands will not be coming anywhere near this state, at least on mobile devices.
Unlike mobile apps, Mississippi casinos are allowed to offer sports betting in different locations throughout the state. The sportsbook options that are available are plentiful, with nearly 30 physical locations to choose from between land and water-based facilities on the Mississippi River. Here is a list of the different retail sportsbook locations that accept wagers.
Almost as impressive as the long list of betting facilities in this state is the fact that they many are run by some of the biggest names in the industry. While they aren’t allowed to operate on mobile devices, William Hill runs many of the sportsbooks in Mississippi, with bettors able to be confident in the quality of the wagering available.
Bettors don’t need to look back too far to get to the beginning of sports betting in the state of Mississippi. Sports gambling kicked off in the state with the rise of daily fantasy sports in 2017.
During the legalization of fantasy sports betting during that time, spearheaded by Mississippi Gaming Commission executive director Allen Godfrey, the state updated the language of previous laws against proper sports betting to allow it after the overturning of PASPA by the Supreme Court.
Once the Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018, it barely took a month for the state to allow bookmakers to operate within its borders. However, that legalization did not include mobile wagering, which impacted the state’s ability to take wagers during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, where states closed down their physical casinos to stop the spread of infection.
The coronavirus pandemic showed the Mississippi Gaming Commission just what could happen to the state’s sports gambling revenue without mobile wagering.
The most important legal sports betting rule in Mississippi is that bets have to be placed in person or via mobile device at one of a few physical locations. While states like Nevada, New Jersey and Iowa allow mobile wagering anywhere within state lines, Mississippi does not. Also, bettors have to be aged 21 or above to place sports bets within the state at any of the approved locations.
