Gambling Legislation Update, April 5: Mississippi Sports Betting Hope
The Closing Line will aggregate efforts to legalize sports betting and online casinos (and other gambling bills) in this space on Fridays, as long as the legislative season is still active.
Mississippi
The state is making a late push to legalize statewide online sports betting; Mississippi already has retail sportsbooks with mobile apps allowed on property. The Senate may vote on the bill before the legislature wraps up. The House, which already passed a bill, would have to reconcile it with the slightly altered Senate version.
Minnesota
There is a new sports betting bill in play that features a 40% tax rate on revenue. It also bans in-game wagering, just like existing legislation. There continues to be optimism that sports betting is legalized this session, but it remains to be seen if everyone will get on board with the same proposal. A proposed ban on historical horse racing is also a part of negotiations.
Maryland
Revenue from online casinos was left out of budget negotiations, meaning legalization efforts are likely dead for this year. A plan for the legislature to approve a referendum that would go to voters without any enabling legislation also seems to be off the menu. The legislature ends its work next week.
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Other gambling bill updates
A gambling expansion package in Alabama is headed to a conference committee. Sports betting had been stripped out of the package earlier, but House members would still like to see its inclusion.
A Virginia bill that would legalize skill games is in limbo.
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