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As the 2026 Regular Session gets underway, Mississippi lawmakers have again filed legislation addressing mobile/online sports wagering and online sweepstakes casino-style gaming. Current filing activity includes multiple bills authorizing online sports pool and race book wagering and a separate Senate proposal that would expand criminal prohibitions to expressly cover online sweepstakes casino-style games.
Mobile Sports Wagering: Multiple Vehicles, Similar Structural Concepts
In the House, HB 1581 proposes to create the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act and would legalize "online race book" and "online sports pool" betting in Mississippi, subject to Mississippi Gaming Commission oversight. The bill contemplates licensure requirements for platforms operating online sports pools or race books and includes geofencing and age-verification requirements, while prohibiting participation by persons under the age of 21.
Separately, HB 297 would amend the Gaming Control Act to revise the definition of "sports pool," define "digital platform," and authorize internet and mobile operation of sports pools and race books through approved digital platforms. HB 297 would also amend the Fantasy Contest Act to remove the prohibition on contests based on collegiate athletic performances.
On the Senate side, SB 2249 is also styled as the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act and would legalize online sports pools and online race books under a platform-and-licensee model. The introduced text requires geofencing and age verification, prohibits play by persons under the age of 21, and directs proceeds collected under the bill's fee structure to the Mississippi HOPE Scholarship Program Fund.
Sweepstakes: SB 2104's Express Statutory Targeting and Penalty Structure
SB 2104 would amend Mississippi's criminal statutes to expressly include any online, interactive, or computerized version of games within specified prohibitions and declare that online platforms offering such games, including online sweepstakes casino-style games, constitute illegal gambling devices. The bill elevates certain conduct to felony treatment with potential fines and imprisonment, authorizes forfeiture of assets used in connection with violations, permits venue flexibility for prosecution, and authorizes contingency-fee arrangements for forfeited assets.
Early-Session Posture
As reflected in the introduced versions of the legislation and publicly available tracking sources, each of these measures remains at the introduced-and-referred stage. Committee scheduling and amendment activity will likely determine whether any of these proposals advance during the 2026 session.
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