Mississippi Gaming Commission Publishes September Sports Betting Report

Mississippi’s gambling regulator, the Mississippi Gaming Commission, published its sports wagering report for September 2023. The report highlights the performance of the state’s sportsbooks and shows which sports were the most popular among players.

In terms of sports betting handle, the Magnolia State’s sportsbooks managed to surpass the $50 billion mark, exceeding the results recorded in September 2022 when the local punters wagered $43,139,310. For reference, September 2023 saw Mississippians wager a total of $51,647,914 on sports. This figure translated into taxable revenue of $8,144,027 billion, which was lower than the revenue recorded in September 2022.

Coastal Mississippi contributed $33,494,794 of the total handle. Bettors in Central Mississippi, on the other hand, wagered $12,331,034. Northern Mississippi sports betting handle, meanwhile, lagged behind at $5,822,085.

Football Remained a Top Performer

The commission also published data about the most popular sports among bettors. According to the data provided by the commission, football remained the most popular sport in the state, although the total football handle experienced a decline in all areas but Central Mississippi. For reference, fans wagered a total of $5,935,048, $19,332,644 and $3,434,245 in Central, Coastal and Northern Mississippi, respectively.

Basketball was another strong contender, recording a handle of $166,396, $235,916 and $191,021 in Central, Coastal and Northern Mississippi, respectively.

Baseball fans in Central Mississippi wagered $1,291,297. Those in Coastal Mississippi bet $3,862,924 more. The baseball handle in Northern Mississippi lagged behind at $342,744.

Parlay cards remained a popular vertical, causing players in Central, Coastal and Northern Mississippi to bet $4,830,155, $5,359,855 and $1,542,319, respectively.

Other sports contributed $108,136, $4,703,453 and $311,754 in handle in Central, Coastal and Northern Mississippi, respectively.

In the meantime, the American Gaming Association published its Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker for August, reporting on the industry’s performance. Mississippi’s results for the period experienced a slight year-on-year decline of 3.7%.

In the meantime, the overall US gambling industry continued to perform well thanks to the contributions of the iGaming sector. According to experts, the favorable figures may signify a third record-breaking year for the US gambling industry.