In April, Mississippi saw a decline in sports betting revenue, bringing in $3.1 million, which marks an 8.8% drop from March's revenue of $3.4 million. Comparatively, this revenue is down 27.9% from April of last year, when it reported $4.3 million.
The total amount wagered during the month was $34.3 million, reflecting a 22.9% decrease from March's figures of $44.5 million. However, it showed a 7.9% increase from the $31.8 million in bets placed in April 2023.
Coastal casinos led the state's betting activity, generating $1.5 million in revenue from a handle of $23.6 million. Central casinos took in $6.6 million in bets, resulting in $1.2 million in revenue, while northern casinos reported $4.1 million in handle and $402,880 in revenue.
With the NFL season concluding in February, Mississippi's coastal casinos favored basketball and baseball for betting in April. Baseball slightly outpaced basketball, with an $8.7 million handle and $1.3 million in revenue. In contrast, basketball bets amounted to $8.6 million, leading to a loss of $525,117.
In central casinos, sports parlay cards were the preferred option, garnering a handle of $2.9 million against $2.3 million for basketball. Revenue from parlay cards reached $908,108, while basketball and baseball generated $220,331 and $48,922, respectively.
On April 29, a bill seeking to legalize online sports betting in Mississippi, known as HB 774, failed in committee. The legislation would have allowed up to 30 online wagering platforms associated with casinos and imposed a 12% tax rate. Although the house had approved the bill in February, it did not progress through the senate.
Mississippi became the third state in the U.S. to launch legal sports betting following the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May 2018. For now, however, it appears residents will have to continue using land-based casinos and on-site mobile betting, even as three neighboring states offer online betting options.
