House Supporters Point to Lost Revenue
One reason the House has begun to strongly support sports betting is the amount of money being lost. They claim that the state has lost millions in tax revenue as residents head across state lines or use offshore books to place bets on sports. This means that the dangers of sports betting are already in Mississippi but without any benefits.
This has been a common argument in states that have yet to legalize the industry. Supporters of the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act estimate that the state has lost between $40 and $80 million. Those numbers are hard to prove, but data from regulated online sportsbooks show that Mississippi residents are creating and using accounts to wager on sports outside the state.
Bill Focuses on Protecting Casinos & Residents
This House bill has some provisions to help ease some of the concerns voiced by the Senate in years past. The first set focused on protecting the state’s retail casino and sportsbook industry, which would suffer if mobile sports betting became legal. This bill would require third-party operators to partner with local casinos while also creating a $6 million fund to help offset any losses.
The other set of provisions aims to ease concerns about problem gambling. The most significant of these involves a ban on credit cards, which many lawmakers have criticized. However, many opponents believe these provisions don’t go far enough.
Bill Seems Destined to Fail in Senate
The Mississippi House has been favorable toward proposals expanding sports betting in the state, but the Senate has not. The conservative legislature has concerns over the industry’s impact on families and the morality that comes with that.
In addition to problem gambling, opponents in the Senate believe that only forms or legal https://aq999gameapp.com/gambling draw in tourists. This includes retail casinos, which employ thousands of Mississippi residents. Legal online sports betting would not accomplish this, leading many Senators to reject it.
