Mississippi Sports Betting: Online must wait but retail freely available
Mississippi has long had legal retail sports betting, opening its first sportsbooks in August 2018. However, online sports betting is still to be opened up for players.
Daily fantasy sports are explicitly legal in Mississippi, with an initial law passed in 2016 before DFS again being confirmed as legal in 2017. This means that players are able to use top daily fantasy sports options such as DraftKings and FanDuel while they wait for sports betting to be legalized.
Sports betting was made legal in May 2018, shortly after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA) was struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional. This landmark ruling allowed states to decide their own sports betting laws.
The first retail sportsbooks were opened in Mississippi by BetMGM in August 2018, and there are currently 23 land- and water-based casinos that offer the service. However, the Magnolia State has been slower in authorizing online sports betting.
Currently, only BetMGM is live in Mississippi, and players can only use the sportsbook when they are physically located on the property of a partner casino. With the retail industry looking to protect their interest in sports betting, it may be some time until mobile sportsbooks become more widespread.
While Mississippi is reluctant to roll out widespread legal online sports betting, some neighboring states have decided to press ahead with online sportsbooks.
Retail sports betting is legal in Mississippi and has been since May 2018. The first pair of sportsbooks began taking wagers in August 2018, and there are now 23 properties that offer sports betting.
However, online sports betting is still heavily restricted. Currently, it is limited to only taking place on casino grounds using a mobile app version of the respective casino’s retail sportsbook.
BetMGM is currently the only mobile sports betting app which operates in Mississippi. However, it runs with heavy restrictions.
The app is geofenced to the two casinos where BetMGM is a sportsbook partner, meaning it can only be used when a player is physically located on their casino grounds. The two properties where players can access BetMGM are Beau Rivage Casino and Gold Strike Casino.
Daily fantasy sports are explicitly legal in Mississippi, and have been since the first rules controlling them were passed in 2016. This means that players are free to wager real money on DFS competitions on FanDuel.
However, the FanDuel sportsbook is still unavailable to players in Mississippi. As the Magnolia State is yet to offer widespread legal online sports betting, players will not be able to access sportsbook functions while within state lines.
As online sports betting has not yet been made widespread in Mississippi players will not be able to use the DraftKings sportsbook. Currently, the only online sportsbook option is BetMGM, however, that can only be accessed while on the grounds of their two casino properties.
Daily fantasy sports are completely legal in Mississippi, though. This means players are free to wager real money using DraftKings’ leading DFS platform.
Gambling was first legalized in 1990 when the House passed the Mississippi Gaming Control Act. This founded the Mississippi Gaming Commission, and lead to the first water-based casino launching in 1992 and the first tribal casino in 1994.
These laws were expanded in May 2018 to allow for retail sports betting. The first pair of sportsbooks opened in August 2018, and this has grown to 23 properties offering legal sports betting in Missouri in 2022.
- BetMGM – Currently live in limited casinos
- FanDuel – Great value lines
- DraftKings – Unrivalled analysis options
- Caesars – Huge rewards and promotions
Caesars is one of the biggest and most respected names in gambling. As online sports betting has expanded across America, Caesars has made sure they have been at the forefront and currently offer their digital services in 14 states. New users can claim a First Bet up to $1,000 on Caesars.
Should Caesars launch in Mississippi, players will find themselves with access to one of the best selections of promotions and rewards on the market. These run alongside a daily selection of special parlays and enhanced odds bets.
The Caesars sportsbook has a huge selection of sports to bet on, with a deep selection of lines for each event. Thanks to the sleek design and intuitive layout, though, players will find it no problem to track down the exact bet they want should Caesars come to Mississippi.
Players are already able to use DraftKings’ top daily fantasy sports options in Mississippi. The brand has been able to operate DFS since 2016, and will no doubt want to expand into sports betting should the opportunity arise.
The DraftKings sportsbook is perfect for any player who enjoys studying the stat sheet when deciding what lines they want to bet on. DraftKings offers a great breakdown of most events, with key statistics and insights easily accessible alongside the action.
There is also a huge range of bonuses and promotions for both regular players and those who prefer less frequent action. These run alongside a daily selection of special parlays, boosted lines, and articles that highlight where DraftKings themselves think the winners will be.
FanDuel already has a presence in Mississippi as a daily fantasy sports platform. Playing in DFS competitions has been legal since 2016, and should online sports betting become more widespread then FanDuel will surely look to add their sportsbook to their DFS platform.
What makes the FanDuel sportsbook stand out is the great value on offer for sports bettors. If comparable bets are compared from across a range of available sportsbooks, the returns from FanDuel are often slightly higher than those from elsewhere.
The new customer offer from FanDuel allows new users to bet $5 on any moneyline to get $150 in bonus bets if your bet wins.
FanDuel also has a great program of rewards and bonuses, with a big emphasis on parlay betting. The site also has a superb single-game parlay builder for players who enjoy placing multiple lines on the same game.
BetMGM is currently the only online sportsbook with a presence in Mississippi. Players at the Beau Rivage and Gold Stroke Casinos can currently access the BetMGM sportsbook online when they are on either casino’s property.
When players are able to have access they will find out just why BetMGM has quickly become one of the leading sportsbooks in the whole country. Currently, the company is trusted to offer its huge selection of bets and bonuses across 20 states.
There is a huge selection of lines to bet on with BetMGM, and thanks to the fantastic design on both their desktop site and the app it is quick and easy to find the line you want. There is also a great selection of daily specials, including Lion’s Boost enhanced odds which promise even better returns.
Currently, only retail sports betting options are widespread in Mississippi. There are currently 23 casinos, both tribal and water-based, that operate sportsbooks.
After long focussing on retail-only sports betting, Mississippi is starting to make the first tentative steps into online gambling.
Although there have been no bills that have made it out of committee, sportsbooks are beginning to offer access to their online betting apps while on casino grounds. Currently, this is being led by BetMGM, who will give players access when they are at either the Beau Rivage or Gold Stroke Casinos.
BetMGM started offering geofenced access to their online sports betting options in November 2021. The market will now wait to see if further operators will follow their lead and if this will help lead to more widespread legal online sports betting.
Mississippi decided to legalize gambling in 1990 and welcomed its first riverboat casino in 1992. This was followed by the first land-based tribal casino in 1994.
With such a well-established gambling industry it came as no surprise that Mississippi looked to legalize sports betting soon after PAPSA was struck down by the Supreme Court. Following the May 2018 ruling which allowed individual states to decide their own sports betting laws, Mississippi swiftly passed legislation legalizing sports betting.
The first pair of sportsbooks opened in August 2018 at the Beau Rivage and Gold Strike properties run by BetMGM. The market has since increased to 23 sportsbooks running across both land- and water-based casinos.
Mississippi is a rarity in that it has no professional sports teams of its own. However, that has never been a problem for residents of the Magnolia State.
While some may look to the New Orleans Saints for their NFL action, Mississippi is firmly a college sports state.
The New Orleans Saints were formed as a 1967 expansion team and have represented the Big Easy for their entire time as a franchise. With no professional football teams of their own to cheer for – and thanks to Ole Miss legend Archie Manning playing at quarterback – the Louisiana team were adopted by their neighbors in Mississippi.
It took a long time for the Saints to find their feet in the NFL. It wasn’t until 1987, a full twenty years since their debut, that they made their first playoff appearance, while their first division title took until 1991.
The fortunes for the Saints changed massively in the mid-00s, though. In 2006 the team brought in head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees, a pairing who turned the team into constant playoff contenders.
The team won their first Super Bowl in 2009 thanks to the pairing, however by 2021 both had retired from the sport. This leaves the Saints open for new legends to write their next chapter.
The Ole Miss Rebels represent the University of Mississippi and stand as one of the dominant athletics programs in a state which is renowned for its love of college sports.
The Ole Miss Rebels football program is the best in the Magnolia State, as shown by their 64-45-6 series lead over fierce rival Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Egg Bowl. The Rebels also have three national championships, all won between 1959 and 1962.
The Rebels also have a good history of turning out NFL players. Perhaps the most famous pair are the father-son quarterback duo of Archie and Eli Manning.
However, on the men’s basketball court, the Rebels aren’t quite as strong. They have only made it to the ‘March Madness NCAA tournament nine times in their history, with the best performance of reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 2001.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs have one of the top men’s basketball teams in Mississippi, and the team is a regular qualifier for the annual ‘March Madness NCAA Tournament. The team was at their most dominant in the 2000s, where they qualified six times.
Their best-ever performance, though, came in 1996 when they made a run all the way to the Final Four. The Bulldogs qualified in 2019 after a ten-year absence from the tournament, and will no doubt be looking to build on this success going forward.
While they often lag behind their fierce rival Ole Miss Rebels on the football field, the Bulldogs still hold their own. The team has made a Bowl Game every season since 2010, picking up seven titles.
The Bulldogs also hold two of the longest-running rivalries in college football. Their games against Alabama and LSU date back to 1896, while their Egg Bowl rivalry with Ole Miss was first played in 1901.
