Mississippi Lt. Gov. Warns of Online Sports Betting Legalization

• Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann (R) issued a public warning against online sports betting legalization
• The Mississippi lieutenant governor warned of potential increases to gambling harms and revenue cannibalization for brick-and-mortar casinos
• He urged the Senate to continue its opposition of any online sports betting bill

Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann (R) took to social media this week to warn state legislators of the potential harms online sports betting legalization would pose for Mississippi residents and brick-and-mortar casinos.

Lt. Gov. Hosemann urged members of the Mississippi Senate to continue its opposition of online sports betting legalization in the state. The legalization of online sports betting will not “create a single job for Mississippians” and comes with the increasing concern of social costs for vulnerable citizens.

“Online mobile sports betting increases the risk of gambling-related harm and addiction compared with traditional in-person betting (roughly 1 in 5 people with problem gambler disorder attempt suicide). Our young adults are particularly susceptible and can receive push notifications to bet on their phones 24/7,” he wrote on X.

Staunch Opposition to Online Sports Betting

In addition to social harms, Hosemann warned of the negative impact online sports betting may have on the state’s already established brick-and-mortar casinos. Legalization will “undermine” billions of dollars invested in the state’s casinos industry, he warned.

“Mobile sports betting could undermine the billions of dollars invested in brick-and-mortar gaming facilities across our state, increase opportunities for misconduct and illegal actions involving athletes, and raise serious questions about whether the resulting tax revenue would even be sufficient to offset the associated social and economic costs,” he wrote.

The Mississippi legislature has considered several online sports betting bills over the past few years. The Mississippi House of Representatives has approved two online sports betting bills the last two sessions, only for the pieces of legislation to be blocked in the Senate.

Rep. Casey Eure (R-116) successfully navigated two online sports betting bills through the House in 2025 and 2026, but both died in the Senate without a single committee hearing.

“The actual revenue is unknown, and the last mobile sports betting bill passed by the House included a 25% tax cut for casinos. Mobile sports betting wouldn’t create a single job for Mississippians and comes with a social cost that is of increasing concern. The Senate should continue to reject this harmful legislation,” Hosemann noted.

Senate Likely to Continue Blocking Legalization

Sen. David Blount (D-29), chair of the Mississippi Senate finance/gaming committee, is a staunch opponent of online sports betting. Legalization has little to no support in the Senate, he reported.

Speaking with Mississippi Today earlier this year, Blount said the state’s land-based casino industry is too important to Mississippi’s economy and tourism industry to negatively impact with the legalization of online sports betting.

“Look, this is an important industry in our state. They employ tens of thousands of people who go to work and support their families. My take on the industry as a whole, is we have legalized gaming in Mississippi to create jobs, to promote and encourage tourism, and promote investment in the state. It has a major economic impact, a lot of people support their families in this business. Mobile sports betting doesn’t do any of that. It doesn’t create jobs, no investment, just people who want to gamble on their phones,” Blount said.

This year’s House approved online sports betting bill included a 25% casino tax rate cut to Mississippi’s current 8% rate. The casino tax rate would have decreased to just 6%, Blount said, with the state budget estimating a nearly $50 decrease in casino tax revenues.

Based on the House projected online sports betting tax rate, the bill estimated a net $30 million to $32 million in tax revenues.

“The bill, as a whole, would cut $50 million in taxes to get $32 million. It doesn’t make sense,” Blount said.