Your Quick Guide to Gambling in Mississippi

An 11.3% increase from the previous year

A 15% increase from the previous year

Mississippi has a robust workforce

Sweepstakes & Social Gambling

With sweepstakes casinos, you can enjoy yourself and gamble online, even if it doesn’t involve real money. Instead, you’ll use “Sweeps Coins” when you wager. Once you’ve won enough Sweeps Coins, you can exchange them for real prizes.

Prediction Markets

Your knowledge of current events can earn you some cash if you’re right about what happens next. With prediction markets, you’re buying and selling contracts on elections, interest rates, and much more.

Sports Betting

Sports betting is technically available in Mississippi, but only in person. To bet on sports, even while online, you must be on the property of a licensed casino. Statewide mobile betting from home has yet to take effect, but you can still participate at retail gambling locations.

Minimum Age to Gamble

In Mississippi, you must be 21 or older to gamble, play the lottery, or bet on sports.

State Regulator

The Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) audits and regulates every operator in the state.

Operating Costs

Operators in Mississippi have to cover annual licensing fees, regulatory costs, and more.

Gambling Tax

Players must pay a flat rate of 3% on what they win from gambling in the state of Mississippi.

Gambling Framework

Mississippi established a framework to expand gambling via the Gaming Control Act of 1990. The law created a pathway to legalize and regulate casino gaming, charitable gaming, and poker.

Licensing Requirements

Every operator in Mississippi must apply for a license. During the application process, they must provide information on ownership structure along with financial statements. But that’s not all — the MGC does its own investigation and determines if an applicant is suitable to operate.

Compliance Standards

Maintaining a license is just as important as applying for one. In Mississippi, every operator must provide its revenue records to the MGC and report any security incidents. The regulator also plays a role in approving game procedures, surveillance systems, etc.

Enforcement & Penalties

Operators aren’t off the hook if they break the rules. Failure to comply could result in fines and even revocation of licensure. The MGC has broad enforcement powers and can levy penalties based on what they find.

Responsible Gambling

Player protection is a priority in Mississippi (as it is in every state). That’s why regulations and policies are in place to promote responsible gambling. For example, every operator must offer self-exclusion, which is a program that allows players to ban themselves voluntarily.

Future Regulatory Changes

The hope is that Mississippi will continue to expand its gambling operations. Most notably, we’d like to see mobile sports betting become available statewide (without geofencing that limits all activity to retail casinos).