In April, Mississippi’s sports betting sector saw a slight decline in revenue compared to the previous month and a significant drop from the same period last year. The coastal casinos emerged as leaders in the market, with basketball and baseball emerging as the favored sports for betting. Meanwhile, the Mississippi Lottery introduced a new game, Lotto America, aimed at enhancing player engagement with its appealing jackpot and simple gameplay mechanics.
Mississippi Sports Betting Overview
In April, Mississippi’s sports betting industry recorded total revenue of $3.1 million, marking an 8.8% decrease from March and a substantial 27.9% drop from the previous year. Despite the revenue decline, the total amount wagered, known as the handle, reached $34.3 million, showing a 7.9% increase from April 2023. This data underscores a resilient betting activity despite revenue fluctuations.
Regional Breakdown
The state’s coastal casinos led in both handle and revenue generation during the reporting period. They reported a handle of $23.6 million, contributing $1.5 million to the state’s total revenue. In contrast, central casinos recorded a handle of $6.6 million and revenue of $1.2 million, while northern casinos reported a handle of $4.1 million, translating to revenue of $402,880. This regional breakdown highlights the varying contributions to the state’s overall sports betting landscape.
Popular Sports and Betting Trends
Basketball and baseball emerged as the primary sports for betting at coastal casinos in April. Baseball garnered significant attention with an $8.7 million handle and $1.3 million in revenue. Meanwhile, basketball attracted an $8.6 million handle; however, casinos faced losses amounting to $525,117 from these bets. At central casinos, sports parlay cards led the way with a handle of $2.9 million, generating $908,108 in revenue. These trends illustrate the dynamic nature of sports betting preferences across different casino regions.
Lotto America
In a bid to diversify its gaming offerings, the Mississippi Lottery launched Lotto America on May 12, featuring a progressive jackpot of $2 million. This new game is designed to appeal to players seeking a straightforward yet rewarding gaming experience. Lotto America draws take place three times a week—on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday evenings at 9:15 pm—offering players nine ways to win by matching varying combinations of numbers.
Players select five numbers from a pool of 1-52 and an additional Star Ball number ranging from 1-10. Prizes are awarded based on the number of matches achieved, providing players with multiple opportunities to win prizes of varying amounts.
The introduction of Lotto America by the Mississippi Lottery represents a strategic move to enhance the state’s gaming portfolio and cater to diverse player preferences. Despite fluctuations in sports betting revenue, the industry continues to demonstrate robust activity and resilience. The regional breakdown highlights the varied contributions of coastal, central, and northern casinos to the state’s overall gaming revenue.