Mississippi lawmakers are once again debating whether to expand sports betting online, as supporters argue new revenue could help shore up strained public finances while opponents in the Senate remain wary of the impact on the state’s casino industry.*

With the Mississippi legislative session underway, House proponents of online sports betting say momentum may be building after years of stalled efforts. Rep. Kevin Felsher said he believes 2026 could mark a turning point, citing fiscal pressures and renewed discussion around the issue.

Felsher has argued that revenue from mobile sports wagering could be directed toward the state’s Public Employees’ Retirement System, which is currently about 55% funded. He said a carefully designed system could expand betting options while preserving the role of existing casinos. “I’m hopeful this year could be the year that we get a sensible mobile sports betting program that protects the integrity of our brick-and-mortars,” Felsher told WLOX.

 

Developments and Previous Scenarios

Mississippi legalized sports betting in 2018, becoming one of the first states to do so after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal ban. However, wagering is limited to in-person betting at the state’s casinos. Attempts to authorize online betting have repeatedly cleared the House only to stall in the Senate.

Last year, the House passed two separate bills that would have legalized mobile sports betting, but neither advanced in the upper chamber. One proposal, which passed the House 88–10, would have allowed the state’s 26 casinos to partner with up to two online platforms and imposed a 12% tax on sports betting revenue. The bill also included a mitigation fund aimed at addressing concerns from smaller casinos about potential losses.

Despite those provisions, the Senate did not take up the measure. In response, House lawmakers attempted to attach sports betting language to several Senate bills, including legislation addressing online sweepstakes. The Senate ultimately killed those proposals because of the added language.

The resistance reflects long-standing divisions within the Legislature. Industry sources say independent casinos wield significant influence in the Senate and are concerned that online betting could benefit larger operators at their expense.

Sen. David Blount, chair of the Senate Gaming Committee, has said he will not introduce online sports betting legislation unless requested by the Mississippi Gaming Commission. He has also expressed concern about how mobile wagering could affect brick-and-mortar casinos. “Of course, any Senate member can file a bill on that topic if he or she wants to and then we’ll look at it,” Blount told the *Clarion Ledger* last year. “The House has been outspoken in wanting to expand gaming in the state, so I don’t know what the House may do, but I’ll have to wait and see if there’s a Senate bill or not to consider.”

Mississippi’s debate comes as opportunities for sports betting expansion narrow nationwide. Many remaining states without broad legal sports betting face complex political obstacles, including opposition from tribal interests, existing casinos, or other stakeholders. “The states that remain, they are difficult,” said Brandt Iden, vice president of government affairs at Fanatics Betting & Gaming. “A number of political hurdles that are large that exist — tribes, commercial casinos, whatever it happens to be — it makes it more difficult.”

 

Expansion to online sports betting is not easy — there are lots of hurdles — but lawmakers are increasingly aware of the revenue implications.

 

The Future

Iden also noted that 2026 is an election year for many lawmakers, which could make controversial issues such as gambling expansion harder to advance. Still, he said fiscal considerations may prompt renewed interest in states where some form of betting is already legal. “Expansion to [Mississippi] online sports betting is not easy, lots of hurdles, but a bill has moved out of the House the past two years,” Iden said. “Again, there’s an issue in the Senate, but lots of discussion and lawmakers are aware of the issue.”

In 2023, lawmakers created a Mobile Online Sports Betting Task Force to study the issue, signaling continued interest despite legislative setbacks. Whether that work, combined with budget pressures and growing acceptance of sports betting nationally, will be enough to overcome Senate opposition remains uncertain. For now, Mississippi’s push for online sports betting appears to hinge on whether fiscal needs can outweigh concerns about market disruption and whether Senate leaders are willing to reconsider a policy that has repeatedly divided the Legislature.