Mississippi is an open and active state regarding in-person gambling and sports betting. However, state residents can only access offshore online casinos. Here’s a breakdown of what’s legal and what isn’t in Mississippi.
Gambling
Mississippi
Is Online Gambling Legal?
Gray Area (Offshore sites only)
Playing at Online Casinos
Gray Area (Offshore sites only)
Legal Age Online
21+
Land-Based Casinos
Yes
Legal Age Land-Based
21+
Online Sports Betting
Yes
Charitable Gambling
Yes
State Lottery
Yes
Social Gaming
Yes
Is Gambling Legal in Mississippi?
Gambling is legal but the state only regulates certain forms. This includes land-based tribal casinos, sports betting, DFS, and the lottery. See bellow the latest status in 2024 for each form of gambling in Mississippi:
Gambling
Mississippi Legal Status
Casino Gambling
Legal – There are 30 open venues across the state, including riverboat casinos.
Poker
Legal – Only within licensed casinos.
Horse Racing Betting
Legal – Pari-mutuel horse racing betting at designated venues.
Dog Racing Betting
Banned
Lottery
Legal
Daily Fantasy Sports
Legal – Few in-state providers are available.
Sports Betting
Legal – Within state-designated premises (even if you use an app)
Charitable Gaming
Legal – Games include bingo and pull-tabs.
Social Gambling
Legal – So long as no money is exchanged.
Online Gambling
Grey Area – Available through offshore sites.
Best Mississippi Online Casinos
Offshore real money casino sites are licensed and regulated in other jurisdictions and offer a high degree of security, with several having track records spanning several decades.
We’ve assessed the top Mississippi online casinos for safety, payout speed, promos, and game choice. Pick one that suits you below!
The state has developed a warm relationship with gambling since its first riverboat casinos set sail in 1991. Today, there are plenty of places to gamble legally, from Tunica to Biloxi.
Casino cruises and sports betting remain hugely popular in the state, while other forms of gambling may soon follow suit.
Land-Based Casinos in Mississippi
Physical casinos are legal, with the state having 30 open venues. There is a mix of land-based and riverboat casinos, while the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians operate three Class III tribal casinos.
-Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Tunica, Tunica Resorts
-Scarlet Pearl Casino, D’Iberville
-Silver Slipper Casino, Lakeshore
-Silver Star Casino, Choctaw
-Treasure Bay Casino Biloxi, Biloxi
-Trop Casino Greenville, Greenville
-Tunica Roadhouse Casino & Hotel, Tunica Resorts
-WaterView Casino & Hotel, Vicksburg
Horse & Dog Tracks
Pari-mutuel horse racing betting is only permitted at in-person sportsbooks and casinos. Online horse wagering is not available in the state, while there are no racetracks in MS.
Dog racing is illegal, and betting on dogs at state-regulated casinos is impossible.
Online Sports Betting
Sports betting is only available at licensed casino sites and in-person sportsbook operators. Players can use apps to bet on sports if they are within the licensed venues.
It’s also possible to bet online from anywhere in Mississippi via offshore sportsbooks registered in other jurisdictions. Read more about sports betting sites here!
Bingo Halls and Charitable Gambling
So long as you have a charity license, you can operate a bingo game anywhere in the state.
Magnolia Bingo in Tupelo, for example, hosts bingo nights with $7,500 maximum payouts, with money raised for the benefit of at-risk, abused children in Mississippi.
Lottery
Scratch cards are available statewide alongside the draw game Cash 3.
The state also offers Fireball, Cash Pop, Mega Millions, and Powerball tickets, which are sold at kiosks, gas stations, convenience stores, and similar establishments.
Social Gaming at Home
Social gambling is permitted so long as no money is exchanged
However, it’s very rare for the police to knock at your door if you’re playing blackjack with a couple of college buddies.
Poker Rooms and Clubs
Poker is legal at licensed casinos but prohibited elsewhere.
The Beau Rivage Resort and Casino hosts the biggest poker room in the state, with 16 tables across a two-tiered, non-smoking venue.
Casino Cruises
Mississippi is the home of the casino cruise, but the law changed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, meaning floating casinos must be permanently moored or built within 800 feet of the shoreline.
These casinos can often look like floating buildings on barges and operate up and down the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico.
Mississippi Real Money Online Casino Games
There are scores of options for residents who want to test their luck online. The best way to go about it is joining an offshore site available to Mississippians, whether you’re hiking in Homochitto or chilling in downtown New Albany.
Online Slots
You can access hundreds of online slot games from international software developers and take advantage of extra features like free spins, bonus rounds, and progressive jackpots.
Spinning the reels online gives players a better edge because of, on average, higher RTP percentages.
You can also play slots at commercial casinos and Mississippi’s three tribal casinos.
Online Poker
Online poker is readily available at offshore sites. Here, players can find all sorts of modalities and variants like video, online, and live dealer poker.
Additionally, high-profile sites frequently host tournaments that award players large cash prizes.
Those who don’t live on the coast or alongside the Mississippi River have limited options, so offshore poker has become such a popular choice.
Blackjack
Online blackjack is the most popular table game genre at online casinos.
These sites usually pay out better rates than their land-based counterparts, as they aren’t required to pay the same 12% tax that state casinos fork out.
The game is readily available in most of Mississippi’s 30 land-based casinos, but you’re in for a long drive if you don’t live near the coast or the river.
Live Dealer Games
Live dealer games provide a perfect solution for residents who live far from the state’s casino hubs and want to experience the thrills of sitting at a real casino table from anywhere.
These live rooms are hosted by friendly dealers who are streamed through HD cameras; they’re happy to chat with you while you place your bets giving you the best of both worlds.
You’ll find live dealer versions of the most popular casino games, including poker, blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, at the most reputable offshore online casinos.
Other Available Games at Mississippi Online Casinos
The games mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg. The best sites offer hundreds of games within an expanding list of categories, as shown below.
Top Bonuses at Gambling Sites for Mississippi Players
Online gambling has surged in the past decade as gamers seek more flexible alternatives within the state. Bonuses are a huge draw to online gambling, and below, we have two of the industry’s finest offerings.
In 1990, the state legislature created its casino industry and launched the Mississippi Gaming Commission to oversee it.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Mississippi?
The state does not have any online casinos, but there is no explicit law banning them. Instead, the lack of a legal framework permitting online casinos makes them inviable in the state.
Thus, residents and visitors alike have the only choice of gambling online through offshore sites.
Mississippi does permit online sports betting on licensed sportsbook premises, but the legislation doesn’t stretch to casino gaming.
The Law Generally Welcomes Gambling
This is one of the few states to have an active, thriving riverboat casino industry.
*Please be advised that the information provided on this page does not constitute legal advice. Our team strongly recommends you seek professional counsel from a qualified attorney regarding your specific questions or concerns on the topic.
Mississippi Online Gambling vs. Neighboring States
Mississippi is bordered by states that have a more conservative attitude towards gambling than the Magnolia State. Here’s how MS matches up against its neighbors.
Mississippi may have a thriving in-person casino industry but its attitude towards online gambling matches its neighboring states.
Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas all haven’t regulated online gambling at the state level yet either, which is why residents in these states utilize offshore sites when they want in on the action.
Tennessee was late to the party and only permitted charitable gaming as recently as the 2000s. It does, however, permit mobile sports betting, which Mississippi does not (unless at a sportsbook premises).
Alabama is perhaps the state most hostile to gambling and doesn’t even run its own lottery.
Tips For Playing at MS Online Casinos Safely
GambleOnline assesses every site we come across for player safety, in order to only recommend secure sites to our readers.
However, you should always exercise caution when joining any site and ensure you are gambling responsibly. Here are some gambling tips to be aware of.
Find a Reputable Site
Only join a site that has passed exhaustive safety tests and has a reliable reputation for looking after its players. Use a list of trusted operators, like ours at gambleonline.net., to make your decision easier.
Read Reviews
Look at expert reviews of casino sites and make a choice based on your preferences. There’s no need to rush to join a site, and you can always find another one if your first pick doesn’t meet your expectations.
Find Security Guarantees
The best casino sites operate 256-bit secure socket layering (SSL) encryption or Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption as standard. These measures ensure you are protected when playing on desktop or mobile.
Look For A License
MS doesn’t regulate its own iGaming industry, and most offshore sites have licenses elsewhere. It’s worth checking whether your chosen site is licensed and reading those regulations. Most licenses are held in Curaçao, Panama, or Europe.
Find Responsible Gambling Advice
We only recommend casinos that offer a high level of responsible gambling advice. It’s worthwhile checking your chosen site to see how proactive they are when addressing problem gambling. Do they offer help guides, links to charities, deposit limits, and self-exclusion options?
Look For Transparency
Players across Mississippi deserve top standards from whatever site they join, including honesty and transparency. Seek out sites that cut through the legal jargon when detailing their T&Cs. This applies to RTPs, bonus requirements, and deposit methods.
Assess Payment Options
Ensure the payment option you want to use to find your play is available at your chosen site. Many players use VISA or Mastercard to pay directly from their bank, but others prefer cryptocurrencies or e-wallets, so payments don’t show on bank statements.
Mississippi Gambling Pros and Cons
Residents near the shoreline have plenty of options, but those inland do not have as many.
Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of gambling in The Magnolia State.
Pros
Abundance of riverboat and tribal casinos to choose from.
More than 14,500 slot machines in the Gulf area.
Extensive Mississippi problem gambling resources.
Access to offshore casino sites while in MS.
Proposed legislation to permit online sports betting outside of licensed premises.
Cons
No impending regulation for online casino games.
MS is losing tax money by not regulating online casinos.
Players pay 3% non-refundable gambling tax.
When Will Online Gambling Be Legal in Mississippi? Our Prediction
State gambling laws are more progressive than those in neighboring states like Alabama, yet we’re unlikely to see any major changes to the casino industry in the coming years.
Want to know more about internet gambling in Mississippi? Here are our answers to the questions players often ask us:
Are there real money online casinos in Mississippi with no deposit bonuses?
Mississippi residents can access real money online casinos with no deposit bonuses but can only do so by joining an out-of-state site. These sites usually operate under licenses in other countries, such as in Europe, and can provide a great range of no deposit bonuses.
How will my gambling winnings be taxed in Mississippi?
Gambling winnings in Mississippi are taxed at a non-refundable 3%. You will need to pay this tax on top of any fees your casino takes when processing a withdrawal.
Joseph is a dedicated journalist and horse racing fanatic who has been writing about sports and casinos for over a decade. He has worked with some of the UK's top bookmakers and provides Premier League soccer tips on a regular basis. You'll likely find him watching horse racing or rugby when he isn't writing about sport.