Everyone must remember how hard it was to spell Mississippi growing up. All the little tricks and memory games still used to this day. At least I did when writing this review.
But there is no forgetting how fast they were to legalize sports betting. The first sportsbooks opened in 2018, the same year PASPA was overturned. They were the leaders in the South for legalized sports betting and one of the earliest in the country.
Jackson is the biggest city in Mississippi with around 150,000 people. There are no major professional sports teams in the state. Their six Division 1 teams are the focus of the state. Those programs are Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Jackson State, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State.
The Magnolia State may not be one of the biggest states in the country, but it certainly was one of the most important for sports betting. The South has been less willing to jump into legalized sports gambling than other areas. Mississippi being one of the trailblazers gave others down south a blueprint.
Yes, gambling is legal in Mississippi. In 2018, the retail locations were able to get legal sportsbooks up and running. The first bets were taken in August of 2018 and MS hasn’t looked back. There are now roughly 30 locations that can legally accept wagers on sports.
While sports betting is legal in brick-and-mortar locations, online sports betting is not allowed in the state. There have been multiple bills drafted that would bring online wagering to Mississippi, but those have not passed. There is optimism that mobile will eventually come, but there is no true timetable. As of now, the only way to legally bet on sports is going to a retail location.