Mississippi’s Online Gambling – Current Status
While Mississippi has one of the biggest land-based casino industries in the US, it has a few options for online gamblers. Online casinos aren’t yet legal, and online sports betting is limited, but there are other ways to enjoy gambling in the Magnolia State.
Read our complete guide to learn how to legally gamble in MS. You’ll also find our recommendations for the top online gambling sites in the state.
Best Mississippi Gambling Sites
Our experts have reviewed dozens of online gambling sites available in Mississippi and chosen the best platforms for you. We examine every part of a gambling site, looking for the operators that offer the most straightforward navigation, the best mobile capabilities, and the most generous bonuses. You’ll find our top picks below.
Is online gambling legal in Mississippi?
While Mississippi is welcoming to most kinds of in-person gambling, its online gambling laws are much stricter. Online casinos are unavailable, and online sports betting is only legal if you visit the grounds of a land-based casino providing such a service.
There are restrictions, but there are still options for players who want to enjoy gambling online. Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) are legal and available anywhere in the Magnolia State. You can also enjoy betting on horse racing online using advanced wagering parimutuel sites. Plus, Mississippi players can play casino games for free by using sweepstakes or social casinos. These sites will give you access to top-quality slots and table games from the convenience of your home.
Mississippi State Gambling History
Mississippi has a long history of gambling in many forms, with the first establishment opening at the Fleetfield Race Track in the 1790s. Our experts have provided an overview of changes to gambling in MS to give you a better understanding of what is legal.
- 1791: The first recorded gambling act in MS is on a horse race held at Fleetfield Race Track in Natchez.
- December 10, 1817: Mississippi is admitted to the Union.
- 1849: Pass Christian opens the first yacht club in the South, operating regular races on which audiences would bet.
- June 29, 1990: Lawmakers pass the Mississippi Gaming Control Act (HB 2) to legalize dockside casinos, eventually overseen by the newly created Mississippi Gaming Commission. Initially, the Commission just takes oversight of charitable gaming.
- August 1, 1992: The Isle of Capri Casino is the first dockside casino to open in MS.
- October 1992: The first legal bingo hall opens in MS.
- October 1, 1993: The Mississippi Gaming Commission takes over regulation of dockside casinos from the Mississippi State Tax Commission.
- 1994: The first Native American casino in MS, Silver Star Casino, opens in Neshoba County.
- October 17, 2005: Following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, lawmakers propose allowing dockside casinos to operate on land near bodies of water. Governor Haley Barbour approves this.
- November 9, 2006: The Silver Slipper opens, the first commercial casino built on land in MS.
- 2014: The Mississippi House Gaming Committee creates the Internet Gaming Taskforce to study online gambling and sports betting.
- 2016: Lawmakers temporarily legalize Daily Fantasy Sports to help determine the best way to regulate the industry. This is supposed to last until July 2017.
- March 2017: Governor Phil Bryant signs HB 967 to make DFS legal.
- May 14, 2018: The US Supreme Court rules the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) unconstitutional, paving the way for each state to legalize sports betting. Within hours, Mississippi submits a draft of its new sports betting legislation, allowing for sports betting on the grounds of regulated land-based casinos.
- June 2018: The 30-day period for this draft legislation elapses, and sports betting becomes legal. Operators start applying for licenses.
- August 2018: BetMGM Sportsbook takes the first legal sports bets in Mississippi at the Beau Rivage Casino and the Gold Strike Casino.
- January 2021: BetMGM launches the first online sports betting app in MS, which you can use on the grounds of its partnered land-based casinos.
Legal Gambling Options in Mississippi
Mississippi has some pretty unique gambling regulations compared to US states, especially when it comes to online sports betting, which you can only conduct on the grounds of certain land-based casinos. That’s why it’s handy to know exactly what types of gambling are legal in the state. You can find an overview below.
| Type of Gambling | Legal? | When Legalized? |
| Online Casinos | No | N/A |
| Land-Based Casinos | Yes | 1990 |
| Online Poker | No | N/A |
| Land-Based Poker | Yes | 1990 |
| Online Sports Betting | Yes (On casino grounds) | 2018 |
| Retail Sports Betting | Yes | 2018 |
| Daily Fantasy Sports | Yes | 2016 (2017 permanently) |
| Horse Racing | Yes | 2018 |
| Lottery | Yes | 2018 |
| Charitable Gambling | Yes | 1992 |
Sports Betting
Mississippi was one of the first US states to legalize sports betting following the US Supreme Court’s decision to repeal the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA). In fact, it released its draft sports betting regulations within hours of the PASPA decision. This came into effect 30 days later.
While there have been several attempts to change sports betting regulations, the rules from this initial legislation remain in place. You can only place sports bets by visiting a licensed land-based casino. While at a casino, you can either bet using a retail sportsbook or through a betting app. However, you can only use these sportsbook apps in strict locations.
For this reason, most sportsbook operators don’t provide online services in MS. The only two that do are BetMGM at Beau Rivage and Gold Strike Casino Resort and local operators at Bok Homa Casino, Silver Star Casino, and Golden Moon Casino.
You must be 21 to bet on sports, with a wide range of events available at MS sportsbooks, including professional and college sports. There are no restrictions on betting on in-state teams, so wagering on programs like Ole Miss (University of Mississippi Rebels) is available.
Online Casino
While Mississippi has one of the biggest casino industries in the US, online casinos are still illegal in the state. If you’re interested in playing casino games on the move, you can check out social or sweepstake casinos and play for free.
Poker
Several bills have been introduced to the Mississippi legislature since 2012 to legalize online poker. However, despite support from the Mississippi Gaming Commission, none of these bills have gained enough momentum to be brought to the floor for voting. Although there has been no recent progress toward online poker legalization in the state, the MS gaming industry still has great interest in online poker legislation.
While online poker remains unavailable, the land-based poker industry is thriving. Currently, Mississippi boasts a total of 105 poker tables spread across 17 poker rooms throughout the state. These poker rooms offer all the classic game options, including three and four cards, Omaha variants, and Texas Hold’em.
Daily Fantasy Sports
In 2016, Mississippi made Daily Fantasy Sports temporarily legal until July 2017 to allow its Fantasy Contest Task Force to propose a better framework for operation in the future. In March 2017, Governor Phil Bryant signed HB 967 to legalize DFS.
You’ll find a range of operators letting you build teams of your favorite athletes from major leagues and other popular sports, enter competitions, and win cash if you score the most points. As part of the regulations, operators must pay a licensing fee of $5,000 every three years, and 8% of all revenue goes back to the state.
Lottery
In 2018, the Alyce G. Clarke Mississippi Lottery Law was passed, which led to the establishment of the Mississippi State Lottery. According to the law, up to $80 million of net proceeds will be deposited into the State Highway Fund every fiscal year until June 2028. Any proceeds exceeding the $80 million threshold will be allocated to Mississippi’s Education Enhancement Fund.
Players have various games, including Scratch Offs, Cash 3, Cash 4, Fireball, Cash Pop, and Match 5 multiplier. Since 2020, Mississippi has also participated in multi-jurisdictional games like Mega Millions and Powerball. Players must be at least 18 years old to participate in the lottery in MS. You can only buy a lottery ticket in person.
Retail Sportsbooks
Sports betting was legalized in 2018 and requires players to be on the grounds of a land-based casino to play. This makes retail sportsbooks extremely popular, even at establishments where you can use an app to play.
Twenty-eight land-based casinos in Mississippi support sports betting. Many operators partner with a well-known brand, so some of the most popular sportsbooks in the US are available, including BetMGM, Caesars, Bally’s, FanDuel, and DraftKings. However, there are also plenty of local, independent brands, which sets MS apart from many US states.
Land-Based Casinos
Mississippi is renowned for its thriving casino industry, with 30 state-regulated casinos located along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. While riverboat casinos were once the most popular form of gambling in Mississippi, the laws changed after Hurricane Katrina, allowing casinos to operate on land more easily.
Casinos in Mississippi offer a variety of games, including slots, table games, and poker rooms. Many casinos will provide loyalty programs for customers who make regular trips, and you can also access amenities like restaurants while you visit.
Sweepstakes Casinos
If you don’t want to travel to a land-based casino, you can still legally enjoy your favorite casino games for free by playing with sweepstakes casinos. These sites will award you with virtual currency like Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, which you can use to play slots, table games, and more. While sweepstake casinos will give you plenty for free, you can also top up your balance with a purchase.
The games at sweepstake casinos aren’t cheap knock-offs. Instead, you’ll find fully functioning casino games from some of the best developers globally, like NetEnt, Konami, and IGT. Some sweepstake casinos will allow you to exchange the Sweeps Coins you win for real-life prizes.
How are Gambling Sites Regulated in Mississippi?
Any DFS site or online sports betting operator that launches in Mississippi needs licensing from the Mississippi Gaming Commission. The Commission puts all operators through strict tests, only approving operators that meet high standards for fairness and safety. These same high standards are applied to in-person gambling locations as well, which also need approval from the Commission to operate.
Responsible Gambling in Mississippi
The Mississippi Gaming Commission treats responsible gambling very seriously, requiring land-based casinos to train staff to spot signs of problem gambling and provide support. Most online gambling products will provide responsible gambling support, including guidance on spotting signs of a problem and advice on how to gambling responsibly. Some operators may even offer account tools like deposit limits to help mitigate problem gambling.
There are also plenty of support resources players can reach out to that are specifically tailored to players in MS. We’ve listed some of the best on this page so you can reach out and get the support you need.
The Mississippi Council on Problem and Compulsive Gambling:
- Call: 888-777-9696
- Website: www.msgambler.org
The National Council on Problem Gambling Mississippi:
- Call: 1-800-GAMBLER
- Website: https://www.ncpgambling.org/state/mississippi/
- Live Chat: www.1800gamblerchat.org
FAQs
Is online gambling legal in Mississippi?
Certain types of online gambling are legal in Mississippi, including Daily Fantasy Sports and sports betting on the grounds of regulated casinos. Online casinos are not permitted, but you can enjoy casino games for free using sweepstake casinos.
Can I bet on sports in Mississippi?
Of course, you can bet on sports in Mississippi. If you visit one of 29 land-based casinos with retail sportsbooks, you can place bets on professional and college sports. You can also use online betting apps while on the grounds of some of these locations.
Does Mississippi have any online casinos?
No, there are no online casinos in Mississippi. If you want to enjoy real-money casino games, you can visit your nearest land-based casino, which has plenty of gambling operations across the state. You can also play free casino games online using sweepstakes casinos.
Is DFS legal in Mississippi?
Absolutely! Mississippi was the 4th US state to legalize Daily Fantasy Sports games, with this type of gambling temporarily legalized in 2016 before being made permanently legal in March 2017. The state receives 8% of revenues from DFS operators.
Are Mississippi online gambling sites safe?
Online gambling sites licensed by the Mississippi Gaming Commission are safe to use. The Commission puts every operator through strict tests to ensure all games are fair and financial transactions are protected.
Do I have to pay taxes on gambling winnings in Mississippi?
Yes, you must pay gambling taxes on winnings in Mississippi. You must declare all gambling winnings to the IRS and fill out a W-2G form if you earn a certain amount. The threshold for a W-2G form will depend on what type of gambling you make your profits.
