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We took a deep dive into Mississippi's milestones throughout 2024 and have listed those highlights below.
- Dead, Dead, Dead Again. The Mississippi
Legislature once again considered legislation to authorize mobile
and internet sports wagering in the state, and once more, the
measure failed to garner the necessary support. The Mississippi
Mobile Sports Wagering Act passed the House 97–14 but died in
conference. The act would have made it legal to wager on sports on
mobile phones and through the internet, with the condition that
mobile operators had to partner with brick-and-mortar casinos
licensed in the state. Advocates will likely renew their attempt to
pass legislation in the 2025 session.
- Jackson Jackpot Dream. While a bill to permit
a single casino location in Jackson died in the 2024 session of the
Mississippi Legislature, a more organized effort to pass such
legislation may take place in the 2025 session. In December 2024
former Gov. Haley Barbour and a group of business leaders laid out
to legislators plans to use a casino in downtown Jackson to help
revitalize the capital city.
- Groceries, Gas, and Gambling. In November, the
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians opened Crystal Sky, an
18,000-square-foot, $25 million entertainment venue featuring a
casino with 150 slot machines, a sportsbook lounge, a 60-seat
restaurant, 3,000 square feet of retail space, and refueling
stations in Louisville, Mississippi.
- Don't Click That Link! More businesses are
targets of ransomware and other cyberattacks launched by criminal
elements, and the gaming industry is not immune. During 2024 at
least two gaming companies with operations in Mississippi were the
subject of such attacks, shuttering operations for days and weeks
while IT functions were restored.
- Biloxi Sand Beach Blues. During 2024, multiple
applications for approval of gaming sites in Biloxi involved
controversial locations, raising the issue of whether casinos may
locate inland adjacent to the public sand beach. After Gaming
Commission approval of two of the sites, appeals of those decisions
will place the issue before the courts to resolve.
- Roll (Dice) Tide? Mississippi casinos
anxiously monitored the introduction and ultimate demise of
comprehensive legislation in Alabama to authorize a limited number
of casinos, statewide sports wagering, and a state lottery. While
the effort cratered when a key sponsor voted against the bill, the
prospects for a new bill in 2025 are already being debated.
- Like Father, Like Son. The Mississippi Gaming
and Hospitality Association named Bill and Tom Gresham, the first
father and son to serve on the Mississippi Gaming Commission, as
honorees in the Mississippi Gaming Hall of Fame. Joining the
Greshams in the Hall of Fame were Tim Hinkley, a Mississippi gaming
pioneer with the Isle of Capri, and Jon Lucas, former general
manager of the IP Casino Resort Spa.
- Hanging in There. Despite increased competition from the neighboring states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Florida, the Mississippi gaming industry continued to show resilience. Mississippi's 2024 gross gaming revenues were on track to reach at least $2.4 billion for the fifth year in a row.
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