Online sports betting in Mississippi

In 2018, the federal PASPA law was repealed which meant that sports betting was no longer illegal on a countrywide scale. This meant that each individual state was free to implement specific laws and legislation to legalize sports betting as they saw fit. Many states immediately did this allowing their residents to enjoy both online and retail sports betting.

Slightly slower off the mark in some areas, Mississippi legalized sports betting at retail sites very early on. However, they have yet to legalize online sports betting in any form. This article takes a look at all the options available for Mississippi sports betting.

Best online sports betting sites in Mississippi

For those looking to get betting on sports online, there are a number of different places to do so. The best Mississippi online sports betting sites have to be attached to a licensed retail sportsbook within the state. Here are some of the top ones out there:

DraftKings Mississippi

Known throughout the States, DraftKings Mississippi is one of the frontrunners when it comes to sportsbook apps. This app originally started life as a hugely popular daily fantasy sports betting site, but once sports betting could be legalized, the app changed focus and added a real sports betting site to its offerings. The site now offers a wealth of different sports, a really easy-to-use interface and good customer service. Currently, this betting site has partnered up with Scarlet Pearl, and it’s here that players can access all of its features.

Retail sports betting locations in Mississippi

Several of the best sports betting operators in the US has partnered up with Mississippi casinos in order to offer retail sports betting venues. Some of the brands operating in the state right now are William Hill, FanDuel, MGM, and DraftKings. See all retail sports betting locations in Mississippi below:

Popular sports teams to bet on in Mississippi

Excitingly, players in Mississippi have access to a wide range of teams. And this is because the state does not prohibit betting on MS teams or even collegiate events. That being said, the state doesn’t have many pro teams available. Here are some of the more popular teams to bet on in the state:

MSU’s Ole Miss Rebels team

As mentioned, there are not that many major sports teams in the state. However, Ole Miss Rebels football team is one of the biggest teams in the state. In fact, it actually draws crowds of more fans per game than some NFL teams from other states, and often crowds larger than the MLB or NBA.

Interestingly, there’s also a popular Ole Miss Rebels basketball team as well that does well in collegiate events as well. This team competes in the NCAA Division 1 as well as the Southeastern Conference. Unfortunately for players, this team has not done very well in recent years and is often the underdog in most events.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Similar to the Ole Miss team, this is another popular football team. Coming from Mississippi State University, the team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They are one of the older teams too and have been around since 1895.

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

Based down south, the Golden Eagles are from the University of Southern Mississippi. The team is a college football team and plays in the NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision. When it comes to other teams and sports, there is a distinct lack of options in the state. There were a number of hockey and baseball teams in the past, but gradually these stopped existing as popularity declined.

There are also no real major professional teams in the state simply because there is no market for it. Even the largest city of Jacksonville is relatively small in population size when compared to other cities in the US. It is also possible that sports betting in online form have not been pushed so hard as there are fewer major teams that might stand to benefit from partnerships with sportsbooks.

Types of online bets you can place in Mississippi

For players starting with Mississippi sports betting, it’s important to know what the different bet types are and what they mean. Each MS sports betting site, sport, and even tournament has a different array of bet types available. Getting to grips with them is very important for players who are looking to get ahead. Here are some of the top bet types available in the state:

Mississippi online sports betting guide for beginners

For those players about to get started with online sports betting in MS, there are a number of different things to consider. Before beginning to play, players should take a look at the following steps to get to grips with everything:

1. Learn about the different type of bets.

As outlined above, there are a number of different types of betting players can do on sports. Understanding all of these options is key to getting ahead when gambling online. Each of the different bet types offers something a little different and some are harder to get right than others. For instance, a parlay bet is better for established and long-term players who have a better understanding of the sport as a whole. In contrast, future bets are easier to get to grips with, especially for newer players.

2. Sign up for a legitimate MS sports betting site

Finding, and signing up to a legal Mississippi online sportsbook is the main step. Signing up to a site that is not licensed or that doesn’t have a good reputation is a good way to get a bad experience right from the outset. For instance, while offshore mobile operators are available to players in MS, it is not advisable to join them.

This is because these sites are not licensed in the US. They may hold licenses from other jurisdictions but this does not cover US players. That means that if a player wins a bet, the casino can choose not to payout. Some of these casinos are also simply scam sites anyway with no intention of paying up. As they are illegal, US players who suffer at the hands of such sites have no one to fall back on or to get help.

So, to find a legitimate casino or sports betting site within MS, players need to be looking toward US-based apps or checking out the retail sportsbooks available. Currently, the only legal form of gambling is through these retail sites, and they all must hold a license with the MS Gambling Commission in order to operate. Some of these venues do have their own online sports betting site or have partnered up with some of the big-name operators in the country. This means that players can happily, and safely, sign up and play online as long as they are within the grounds of the casino or betting site.

3. Claim betting bonuses

Another important thing to consider when playing is how to make the most of online gambling. A big part of this is looking for betting bonuses as these can help to boost player bankrolls and get things started for new players.

Depending on the sports betting site, there are a wide array of different bonus options available. Players should look for sites offering good welcome bonuses that are either match deposit offers or one’s offering risk-free bets.

Match deposit bonuses are good because they can help to boost the player’s bankroll. Most sports betting apps in MS will offer 100% match up to a specified value. Another popular option is a risk-free bet. This means that once a player has placed a deposit, they can use this to place a bet. If the bet loses, they get a full refund and can use the cash to make another bet.

However, all bonuses and promotions do come with wagering requirements. With this in mind, it’s important that players always check these out before taking on an offer. These can include wagering requirements, time frames in which to use the bonus, minimum and maximum bet limits, and even the type of bet or event the bonus can be used on. In order to make the most of these offers, all of the terms and conditions must be checked to ensure there are no surprises.

4. Deposit a small amount until you are comfortable

Finally, players are also advised to go slow when starting out at an online betting site in Mississippi. With this in mind, it is recommended that players begin with small deposits in order to check out the betting site as a whole. Going all-in with a large deposit means that it is all tied up in the one sports betting site. If the player doesn’t like the app, then the funds are stuck here until its bet or any wagering requirements are met, and it can be withdrawn.

It’s also good practice early on to enforce good bankroll management and make sure that players are learning how to budget.

Online sports betting history in Mississippi

Until the Federal government lifted the law preventing sports betting, states throughout the country actually couldn’t offer sports betting in any capacity. However, once the law was repealed in 2018, then each state was free to legalize betting as they chose.

Interestingly, Mississippi was a little ahead of the curve on this as they had actually repealed a state law preventing sports betting before the federal ban was removed. This meant that as soon as the lifted ban came into force, MS was ready to instantly launch its sportsbooks. Which it did.

With the Mississippi Gaming Commission in charge of regulating these sportsbooks, things got underway very quickly. Now there are more than 20 different retail sites available in the state as well as various tribal casinos that don’t actually fall under the jurisdiction of the MS Gaming Commission.

However, there is still a problem when it comes to online sports betting. Currently, none of the bills have been able to pass so mobile betting remains illegal. At least in theory. Any of the retail sportsbooks that hold an MS license are allowed to have access to their online site. The only caveat is that the player must be within the grounds of the casino in order to access them.

A loophole in the law does allow players to access offshore sports betting sites too, but these are not licensed within the state and therefore cannot be trusted.

Mississippi sports setting bill explained

Since sports betting can now be legalized in each individual state, Mississippi has put a few different laws forward. Back in 2018, the first bill was passed that allowed Mississippi to legalize domestic betting options for players. While there are no mobile sports betting in Mississippi at this time, the bill doesn’t specifically prevent players from accessing offshore betting sites, though these sites are not recommended.

With regards to online betting in the state, things are a little more complicated. Currently, there have been seven separate bills proposed relating to this type of sports betting and all in the 2021 time period. Many of these were directly relating to the legalization of a sports betting app in Mississippi. However, only one of these proposed bills has so far survived.

The only bill that made it through was signed into law and actually only concerns the fact that collegiate athletes must get compensation if their name or image is used during betting of any kind.

Even now, in February 2022, the bill for online sports betting has failed once again. Strong opposition is in place from large casino operators who don’t want online bets to be an option. Even though revenue is actually reduced dramatically when confined to retail bets only. The situation might change later though when LA and AR finalized their sports betting laws.

At this time, it doesn’t look like players can bet on sports online in Mississippi any time soon. It is therefore likely that new legislation will be pushed in 2022 with a potential 2023 launch date at the very earliest.

Taxes on winnings from sports betting in MS

For players that win at sports betting site in Mississippi, there is tax involved. Any winnings made from gambling are subject to a 3% non-refundable income tax. This is easily done though as the betting operator simply withholds the tax when it comes to make the payout.

The amount is not refundable to the taxpayer though. Non-resident taxpayers with Mississippi winnings do not need to file a tax return in Mississippi. Instead, the document that the casino provides when the withdrawal is made is considered the income tax return and proof that the tax was paid to the state of MS.

Betting sites will also be subject to tax and this is set at 12% with 8% of this going to the state and the remaining 4% for local tax. The money that goes to the state is spent on infrastructures such as roads and bridges. Anything that is over $80 million is then spent on education within the state.

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