Mississippi Reeling In Sports Betting Dollars

Mississippi says they pulled in $660,000 in revenue from legalized sports betting in just the first month of casino operators taking bets.

“My concern is not so much that it’s going to be a big money maker. My concern is that it’s going to attract Louisiana people away from gaming.”

That cash will go towards infrastructure projects in the Magnolia State.

Martiny is in Las Vegas attending a gaming conference speaking with officials from other states who have legalized sports betting. He says in the wake of the Supreme Court decision that allowed states to regulate sports betting, there’s been a rush of innovation in the industry, a rush Louisiana is missing out on.

“Louisianans are the only people I know who are not all excited about what we can do to advance it. They (other states) are all into this mobile betting and everything else.”

So, Martiny says he plans on using the successes in other states as examples when he brings a new, more comprehensive sports gaming bill to the floor of the legislature next year.

“I’ve got materials that I’ve come out here and collected with all of the other states have joined, how they are taxing it, what they are dedicating it to.”