By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Watch LIVE
Listen LIVE
SuperTalk Mississippi st logo
  • Tune In
    • Listen Live
    • Watch Live
    • Network Schedule
    • On Demand
    • Podcasts
    • Video Center
    • Connect
  • Stations
    • News/Talk
    • Music
  • Shows
    • Mornings with Richard Cross
    • MidDays with Gerard Gibert
    • Good Things with Rebecca Turner
    • SportsTalk Mississippi
    • In A Mississippi Minute with Steve Azar
    • SuperTalk Outdoors with Ricky Mathews
    • The Ricky Mathews Show
    • The Garden Mama Show
    • The Handyman Show
    • Thunder & Lightning
    • Eagle Hour
    • The Richard Schwartz Show
    • The Lars Larson Show
    • America at Night with Rich Valde
    • Coast to Coast with George Noory
    • Americas Roundtable
    • Crusader Talk
    • The Guy Benson Show
    • Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla
    • Element Wealth
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Featured News
    • Politics
    • Lifestyle
    • Crime
    • Opinion
    • Agrinews
  • Sports
    • Mississippi State
    • Ole Miss
    • Southern Miss
    • Jackson State
    • High School
    • More Schools
  • Weather
  • Networks
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Our Staff
    • Public Files
    • Contests
    • Affiliates
    • Jobs
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Reading: ‘Folks will continue to illegally gamble’: House speaker blasts Senate for not passing mobile sports betting
Watch LIVE
Listen LIVE
SuperTalk Mississippi st logo
  • Tune In
    • Listen Live
    • Watch Live
    • Network Schedule
    • On Demand
    • Podcasts
    • Video Center
    • Connect
  • Stations
    • News/Talk
    • Music
  • Shows
    • Mornings with Richard Cross
    • MidDays with Gerard Gibert
    • Good Things with Rebecca Turner
    • SportsTalk Mississippi
    • In A Mississippi Minute with Steve Azar
    • SuperTalk Outdoors with Ricky Mathews
    • The Ricky Mathews Show
    • The Garden Mama Show
    • The Handyman Show
    • Thunder & Lightning
    • Eagle Hour
    • The Richard Schwartz Show
    • The Lars Larson Show
    • America at Night with Rich Valde
    • Coast to Coast with George Noory
    • Americas Roundtable
    • Crusader Talk
    • The Guy Benson Show
    • Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla
    • Element Wealth
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Featured News
    • Politics
    • Lifestyle
    • Crime
    • Opinion
    • Agrinews
  • Sports
    • Mississippi State
    • Ole Miss
    • Southern Miss
    • Jackson State
    • High School
    • More Schools
  • Weather
  • Networks
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Our Staff
    • Public Files
    • Contests
    • Affiliates
    • Jobs
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Reading: ‘Folks will continue to illegally gamble’: House speaker blasts Senate for not passing mobile sports betting
Search
  • Tune In
    • Listen Live
    • Watch Live
    • Network Schedule
    • On Demand
    • Podcasts
    • Video Center
    • Connect
  • Stations
    • News/Talk
    • Music
  • Shows
    • Mornings with Richard Cross
    • MidDays with Gerard Gibert
    • Good Things with Rebecca Turner
    • SportsTalk Mississippi
    • In A Mississippi Minute with Steve Azar
    • SuperTalk Outdoors with Ricky Mathews
    • The Ricky Mathews Show
    • The Garden Mama Show
    • The Handyman Show
    • Thunder & Lightning
    • Eagle Hour
    • The Richard Schwartz Show
    • The Lars Larson Show
    • America at Night with Rich Valde
    • Coast to Coast with George Noory
    • Americas Roundtable
    • Crusader Talk
    • The Guy Benson Show
    • Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla
    • Element Wealth
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Featured News
    • Politics
    • Lifestyle
    • Crime
    • Opinion
    • Agrinews
  • Sports
    • Mississippi State
    • Ole Miss
    • Southern Miss
    • Jackson State
    • High School
    • More Schools
  • Weather
  • Networks
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Our Staff
    • Public Files
    • Contests
    • Affiliates
    • Jobs
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Follow US
Featured NewsLatest NewsPolitics

‘Folks will continue to illegally gamble’: House speaker blasts Senate for not passing mobile sports betting

Caleb Salers
By Caleb Salers March 6, 2025
Share
7 Min Read
FILE - Mississippi Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Jason White, R-West, ponders a question during a end of legislative session sit-down with reporters, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at his offices in the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
SHARE

Mississippi House Speaker Jason White did not hold back when criticizing his legislative counterparts for neglecting to pass a bill that would legalize mobile sports betting.

“It looks like again this year, the Senate is going to stand in the way of mobile sports [betting]. Folks will continue to illegally gamble and bet on sports online,” White said on Thursday.

“That money will go elsewhere or into illegal dealers’ pockets instead of through the normal channels where our gaming officials could regulate it, and we would at least see the benefit of our operators making that money and Mississippians making it versus it hitting on the illegal market.”

Earlier this week, the Senate Gaming Committee allowed a deadline to kill the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act, a piece of legislation that was overwhelmingly endorsed on the other end of the capitol. The bill served to allow individuals 21 and up to legally bet on athletic events from phones and other devices outside of the four walls of a brick-and-mortar casino.

On Tuesday, anticipating the Senate would kill the bill, lawmakers in the House gutted two Senate bills and inserted the exact text of the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act to keep the spirit of the original legislation alive. However, White, a Republican from West, sees what he believes to be the writing on the wall and fully expects the Senate to reject the proposal once again.

Sen. David Blount, a Democrat from Jackson who chairs the Senate Gaming Committee, has given White adequate reason to infer that mobile sports betting is essentially dead in the water. Blount has yet to budge on his stance that mobile sports betting would not benefit the Magnolia State.

Additionally, despite concessions made by the House to meet the chairman’s requests, Blount has not yet been convinced that the state’s existing gaming industry would not take a hit if people could gamble from their mobile devices instead of visiting a casino.

“The reason we have gaming in Mississippi is to encourage investment, to create jobs, and to grow tourism to bring other people from other places to Mississippi. Mobile sports betting doesn’t do that,” Blount said last week. “Mobile sports betting is in a lot of states, and a lot of people want to do that. I respect that, but it is a different product than the product that we already have.”

With existing gaming facilities statewide in mind, the House’s proposal requires mobile sports betting platforms (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, etc.) to partner with a Mississippi casino before opening up shop. This would allow the state’s casinos to earn a piece of the pie and mitigate any potential financial hemorrhaging. A $6 million “Retail Sports Wagering Protection” fund was also floated to make facilities negatively impacted by mobile sports betting whole.

Revenue generated by mobile sports betting, according to the House’s plan, would be taxed at 12%, with the lion’s share of the proceeds going to road and bridge repairs in all 82 Mississippi counties. This would allow the state to reap the benefits of an untapped money stream.

White contends that “almost every operator” supports mobile sports betting through their casinos, while Blount has argued that the industry is staunchly divided on the issue. Meanwhile, both agree that illegal gaming has far too great of an impact on Mississippi.

Per the American Gaming Association, roughly $64 billion in illegal online bets goes to sportsbooks and bookies nationally. House Gaming chair Rep. Casey Eure, a Republican from Saucier and consistent advocate for mobile sports betting legalization, estimates that Mississippi is responsible for roughly $3 billion of that figure.

The House speaker’s solution, which has been parroted by the executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, would be to legalize mobile sports betting, creating a regulated but safe avenue for people to do what they’ve been doing in the state unlawfully for years now. Blount’s current fix is to crack down on illegal gaming occurring in the state.

As things stand, the two bills with House mobile sports betting legalization language (SB 2381 and SB 2510) remain afloat for now, but it is not expected that the Senate Gaming Committee will have a sudden change of heart. White is critical of Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, for appointing committee chairmen who may not represent the will of Mississippians.

“It is a key component of my job as speaker and the lieutenant governor’s, in his position, to appoint key folks who are passionate and reflect the will of Mississippians in the way legislation ebbs and flows through the process,” White said. “I can’t give a pass to the guy at the very top. I think it starts at the top and with a priority set. Somebody’s got to be the tip of the spear.”

If mobile sports betting is not enacted into law this year, a years-long battle between the House and Senate will be prolonged due to fundamental differences in opinion by those in committee leadership. The Senate has yet to take legislation legalizing mobile sports betting to a floor vote.

Copyright 2025 SuperTalk Mississippi Media. All rights reserved.

Featured NewsLatest NewsPolitics

Stay informed.

Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Avatar photo
By Caleb Salers
Follow:
Caleb Salers is a multimedia journalist for SuperTalk Mississippi News. As a lifelong Jacksonian, Caleb has deep roots in Mississippi and a vested interest in the Magnolia State. Prior to joining the news team, Caleb served as a podcast host. In his spare time, you will find Caleb watching sports, cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Memphis Grizzlies. For inquiries or story tips, email [email protected].

Stay Connected

19kFollowersLike
12.3kFollowersFollow

Latest News

David Parker
State Sen. David Parker announces retirement from legislature ahead of special election
June 6, 2025
WZZQ’s story may be in Mississippi but will soon be delivered nationwide
June 6, 2025
7 undocumented workers arrested at Mississippi construction site
June 6, 2025
Maddie & Tae
Entertainment lineup announced for 2025 Mississippi State Fair
June 6, 2025
Mississippi State’s Brian O’Connor to be second-highest paid coach in college baseball
June 5, 2025

Always Stay Up to Date

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

News / Talk Stations

  • Corinth :: 94.3
  • Delta :: 96.9
  • Golden Triangle :: 100.9
  • Hattiesburg :: 97.3
  • Jackson :: 97.3
  • Laurel :: 99.3
  • Meridian :: 103.3
  • MS Gulf Coast :: 103.1
  • North MS :: 93.7
  • Pike County :: 93.5
  • Southwest MS :: 102.1
  • Tupelo :: 101.9
  • Corinth :: 94.3
  • Delta :: 96.9
  • Golden Triangle :: 100.9
  • Hattiesburg :: 97.3
  • Jackson :: 97.3
  • Laurel :: 99.3
  • Meridian :: 103.3
  • MS Gulf Coast :: 103.1
  • North MS :: 93.7
  • Pike County :: 93.5
  • Southwest MS :: 102.1
  • Tupelo :: 101.9

Music Stations

  • 92.9 Corinth’s Best Country
  • Mix 95.9
  • Q105
  • Max 99
  • Lazer 96.1
  • G-92.9
  • G-103.3 The Delta
  • 97.9 CPR Rocks
  • 105.9 The Monkey
  • G-96.7 Gulf Coast
  • 92.9 Corinth’s Best Country
  • Mix 95.9
  • Q105
  • Max 99
  • Lazer 96.1
  • G-92.9
  • G-103.3 The Delta
  • 97.9 CPR Rocks
  • 105.9 The Monkey
  • G-96.7 Gulf Coast

Shows

  • Mornings with Richard Cross
  • MidDays with Gerard Gibert
  • Good Things with Rebecca Turner
  • SportsTalk Mississippi
  • In A Mississippi Minute with Steve Azar
  • Outdoors with Ricky Mathews
  • The Ricky Mathews Show
  • The Garden Mama
  • The Handyman Show
  • Thunder & Lightning
  • Eagle Hour
  • Richard Schwartz Legal Power Hour
  • The Lars Larson Show
  • America at Night with Rich Valdez
  • Coast to Coast with George Noory
  • Americas Roundtable
  • Crusader Talk
  • The Guy Benson Show
  • Fox Across America with Jimmy Fallia
  • Element Wealth
  • Mornings with Richard Cross
  • MidDays with Gerard Gibert
  • Good Things with Rebecca Turner
  • SportsTalk Mississippi
  • In A Mississippi Minute with Steve Azar
  • Outdoors with Ricky Mathews
  • The Ricky Mathews Show
  • The Garden Mama
  • The Handyman Show
  • Thunder & Lightning
  • Eagle Hour
  • Richard Schwartz Legal Power Hour
  • The Lars Larson Show
  • America at Night with Rich Valdez
  • Coast to Coast with George Noory
  • Americas Roundtable
  • Crusader Talk
  • The Guy Benson Show
  • Fox Across America with Jimmy Fallia
  • Element Wealth

News

  • Latest News
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Agriculture
  • Lifestyle
  • Opinion
  • Latest News
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Agriculture
  • Lifestyle
  • Opinion

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Staff
  • Public Files
  • Advertise
  • Networks
  • Connect
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Our Story
  • Our Staff
  • Public Files
  • Advertise
  • Networks
  • Connect
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
ST logo

SuperTalk Mississippi Media is Mississippi’s leader in news, politics, sports, music, and all things Mississippi. With four statewide radio networks, 12 talk stations, 16 music stations, SuperTalk TV, and over 50 affiliates, SuperTalk Mississippi Media covers every inch of the state.

Contact us: [email protected]
nab
© 2020 - 2025 SuperTalk Mississippi Media. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?