Mississippi Casinos Win Thanks to Super Bowl 59

Residents of Mississippi can't access our best sports betting sites online and don't have access to real money online casinos. But the 2025 Super Bowl is a boon for the brick-and-mortar casinos in the state, where sports betting is legal.

The upcoming Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs is attracting substantial economic activity for Mississippi's casino industry. After all, the NFL championship game is considered the biggest event for sportsbooks as many bettors want to wager on the different aspects of the game.

Brad Carpenter, the Sportsbook Manager at Scarlet Pearl Casino, told local media outlet WLOX, "It's by far the biggest event we have." Similarly, Chett Harrison, the Vice President and General Manager of the Golden Nugget Biloxi, highlighted the high stakes involved, stating, "For us, there’s no going back because there’s no next weekend. It’s feast or famine."

Not all visitors to Mississippi's Gulf Coast casinos on Super Bowl Sunday are locals, either. Many residents from neighboring cities like New Orleans are looking to get away from the throngs of tourists in their own city and make their way to Mississippi for a more subdued experience.

Bay St. Louis is a beach town about an hour from New Orleans and has conventionally been a favorite weekend destination for locals from the city. In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, the city sees more activity as local and out-of-state visitors enjoy the more laid-back atmosphere.

This trend was further catapulted by New Orleans' extremely high accommodation expenses during the Super Bowl. As last-minute hotel bookings climbed beyond $1,000 a night, many rushed for cheaper accommodations in neighboring Mississippi.

Legalized Mississippi sports betting became a reality in August 2018, allowing wagers to be placed at licensed casino properties. The state hosts nearly 30 casinos offering sports betting services.

Mississippi eyes online sports betting

Online sports betting still isn't available in Mississippi. This has been a limitation that continues to raise discussions among lawmakers seeking approval for online sports wagering.

The Mississippi House of Representatives considered bill HB 1302 to legalize mobile sports betting across the state. The bill allows casinos to partner with as many as two sports betting platforms to enable patrons to place bets remotely, provided they are within state lines. It could enable residents to access the best sportsbook promos if it passes.

The bill also includes measures to help smaller casinos through the transition period. It provides for the prohibition of the use of credit cards when placing bets based on concerns about gambling addiction. 

This development could profoundly influence the future of Mississippi's gaming industry. Supporters estimate that the state is currently losing tens of millions in tax revenues to illegitimate offshore betting sites.

Even since the start of the ongoing NFL season, there have been millions of attempts from within Mississippi to reach legal mobile sportsbooks, another sign of pent-up demand for online options. The legalization of mobile sports betting would divert this activity onto regulated platforms, increasing state revenue while offering a safer environment for bettors.