Sen. Joey Fillingane has filed a bill seeking to make online sweepstakes casinos unlawful in Mississippi.
Senate Bill 2510 (SB 2510) seeks to amend the Mississippi Code of 1972 to explicitly prohibit the operation of online, interactive, or computerized sweepstakes casinos in the state.
The bill also would prohibit online sports pools and racebooks, thus significantly tightening the Magnolia State’s regulatory stance on online gambling.
It reads, “The offering for play or operating an online or interactive platform that offers for play such games within the State of Mississippi shall be deemed unlawful under the provisions of this section.”
Harsh Penalties for Online Sweepstakes Operators
SB 2510 would introduce strict penalties for those found to breach the proposed legislation. Any individual or entity caught operating online sweepstakes casinos would face felony charges. The proposed penalties include fines of up to $100,000 per violation and a maximum potential prison sentence of ten years.
Additionally, the bill grants law enforcement the authority to seize and destroy gaming machines or devices associated with illegal online sweepstakes operations. Violators would also face asset forfeiture, losing rights, privileges, or properties tied to unlawful gaming activities. This also applies to Mississippi’s riverboat casinos.
The bill specifies that prosecutions may occur in the county where the offense occurred or in Hinds County.
Mississippi Joins Broader Crackdown on Sweepstakes Gaming
The proposed ban on online sweepstakes gaming in Mississippi aligns with broader efforts across the United States of America to either bring the industry under regulatory oversight or to prohibit them outright.
In New York, Sen. Joseph Addabbo wishes to ensure that “New Yorkers are protected from gambling operations that have the potential of becoming more problematic without proper legislative action, such as unregulated sweepstakes casino operators.”
He added that vulnerable parts of the population are targeted by sweepstakes and a desire to bring regulated iGaming to the state to offer a “safe, effective alternative for online casino enthusiasts.”
The Senator concluded, “I encourage my colleagues and the Governor to take action against unregulated sweepstakes casinos while reconsidering the benefits of allowing legal iGaming operators to provide sanctioned services in a popular and ever-growing industry.”
Meanwhile, New Jersey Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese introduced Bill A5196, which aims to regulate sweepstakes casinos rather than outlaw them. The proposals would require sweepstakes operators to obtain a casino service industry enterprise license, bringing them under the same regulatory framework as other means of online gambling in NJ.
The Future of SB 2510
SB 2510 is the only gambling-adjacent bill introduced by the Mississippi Senator for this legislative session. It has been referred to the Judiciary, Division B Committee for further deliberation.
