In 2017, the legislature paved the way for sports betting should the Supreme Court overturn the restrictions on such activities, which they did this year. That allowed Mississippi to be one of the first states outside of Nevada to offer sports betting.
Through the month of August, an otherwise quiet month of the year before football season begins, casinos took in nearly $6.3 million in sports betting. This translates to more than $644,000 in revenue for casinos and $77,000 in taxes for the state.
Two other important points show greater promise.
First, just 11 of the state’s 28 casinos participated in the opening month of sports betting, with many opening in the middle or end of the month.
Additionally, Mississippi casinos took in nearly $3.5 million in just the first three days of September, more than half of the handle from August. The difference? The start of college football and the NFL.
Most expect these numbers to only climb in the weeks ahead.