Mississippi casinos are preparing for the launch of sports betting in the state which is going live on 21 July.
The Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) has received applications from five commercial casinos interested in offering sports wagering, according to Executive Director Allen Godfrey.
The Magnolia State is expected to become the sports betting capital of the south, being the only state in the region to offer sports wagering.
New rules have already been passed in the state regarding sports wagering in a 22-page document released on 21 June, with no allowance made for the controversial integrity fees.
“The tax rate on [on sports betting revenues] will be 12% - 8% going to the state, 4% local tax, which is the same as every other gaming tax in Mississippi,” Allen Godfrey, Executive Director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, told Sports Handle on the release of the new regulation.
There are also provisions for collegiate sports betting, which prohibits betting from both players and coaches. The state has a large collegiate following, with the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State included in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The MGC has sent representatives to both Nevada and New Jersey in order for them to gain an understanding of how sportsbooks work.
“We’ve had staff in Nevada; we’ve had them in New Jersey. We talk constantly with these other agencies and the model we are after is the Nevada model” Allen Godfrey added.
We have yet to see any further movement from tribal owned casinos in the area, who were expected to be the first casinos to offer sports betting in Mississippi. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw, owners of the Pearl River and Bok Homa casino resorts, made changes to their gaming commission in May to offer sports betting, but have yet to state a specific launch date.
Mobile sports betting will have to wait, as the current regulation stipulates mobile bets can only be placed in casinos or hotel complexes which are adjoined.
