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The Mississippi Senate has become the first in the US to approve a bill to ban online sweepstakes casinos statewide.
SB 2510 was introduced in the closing days of January by Sen. Joey Fillingane and passed by a wide 44-1 margin this Tuesday(Feb 11). It was advanced to the House on Wednesday, and should it pass there, online sweepstakes casinos would have to vacate the state by July 1, 2025.
The bill aims to amend the Mississippi constitution to include “any online, interactive, or computerized version of any game as defined in section 75-76-5 or any other game of chance or digital simulation thereof, including, but not limited to, online race books, online sports pools, and online sweepstakes casino-style games, is hereby declared to be a gambling device, and 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.”
While the bill does not provide a specific definition of online sweepstakes casinos, it groups them with offshore gaming sites operating without a license from the Mississippi Gaming Commission. It also proposes extensive penalties for operators and promoters, including felony charges that could lead to sentences of up to 10 years in prison and fines reaching $100,000 for each violation.
“One of the major problems is that many Mississippians have no idea when they’re on their device that they’re even breaking the law because it looks completely legitimate,’ Fillingane stated. With this bill, he believes the operators would be targeted instead of the players.
Cease-and-Desist Letters Were Ignored
Fillingane noted that before the bill was introduced, the MGC had twice attempted to wave off illegal operators in the state by sending cease-and-desist letters. BetOnline, Bovada, BetUS, and MyBookie were among the five operators to have received the letters, but none responded.
Meanwhile, the Social and Promotional Gaming Association (SPGA), a coalition of numerous sweeps platforms including High 5 Entertainment, Fliff, and FSG Digital, has come out to express their strong disappointment with the Senate’s decision.
“The SPGA is deeply disappointed by the Mississippi Senate’s decision to advance SB 2510, which unjustly targets sweepstakes and conflates a safe and legal form of entertainment with illegal operations,” the association stated. It went on to say that sweepstakes gaming was being misinterpreted and called it a ‘consumer-friendly model.’
The SPGA also called on legislators to consider a regulatory approach that encourages transparency and consumer protections rather than enacting measures that reduce player choice.
“We doubt voters in Mississippi appreciate their elected officials dictating what games adults can and can’t play on their phones. It’s a waste of time and a transparent and misguided attempt to pay out protectionist favors for the casino industry. Voters deserve better than lawmakers who prioritize the protection of a slot machine maker over individual freedom,” it added.
Sweeps Being Debated Nationwide
Maryland and Connecticut are also hoping to follow in Missippi’s footsteps after introducing bills to ban sweepstakes-like offerings in their respective legislatures.
Meanwhile, New Jersey and New York are taking a different approach. The former recently filed a proposal that would define and designate sweepstakes as regulated entities, while New York Senator Joe Addabbo is pushing for sweeps platforms to be incorporated into online casino legislation.
Source: YogoNet
