Sports betting in Mississippi, in prospect following Monday’s take-down of PASPA by the Supreme Court, could be the exclusive domain of the state’s casinos, reports the Mississippi Business Journal.
Asserting that adding betting to casino floors does not constitute a material “expansion” of gaming activity in the state, Larry Gregory, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming & Hospitality Association, said: “We’ve got gaming, this is just another type of gaming.”
Gregory said that Mississippi’s Gaming Control Act states “any type of gaming in the state has to be conducted on the gaming floor,” adding that limits on how and where sports betting can occur could still be amended by the Mississippi Gaming Commission.
“The [Mississippi] gaming industry had 22 million visitors last year. We want more visitors,” he said. “We want to drive visitation… That is what this is about.”
Meanwhile, Allen Godfrey, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, said it was possible that regulated sports betting could be introduced in the state in time for the new American football season, which kicks off in the autumn.
COMMENT: These quotes from the MGHA highlight the ease with which some states will quickly incorporate sports betting into the existing gaming offer, without the need for additional legislative instruments. It is just days since PASPA fell – is it really possible some states will be live ahead of the World Cup?