Mississippi lawmakers are contemplating a legislative proposal that might impose a statewide ban on on-line sweepstakes casinos and different digital playing platforms. Senate Invoice 2510 (SB 2510), launched by Sen. Joey Fillingane, seeks to amend the Mississippi Code of 1972 to categorise on-line playing, together with sweepstakes casinos, as unlawful and topic to strict felony penalties.
The invoice goals to broaden Mississippi’s current playing legal guidelines by defining on-line, interactive, or computerized gaming as illegal. It explicitly targets on-line sweepstakes casinos, on-line sports activities swimming pools, and on-line racebooks.
In accordance with the invoice’s language, any on-line platform that provides video games of probability or simulates playing by way of digital means could be categorised as a playing system and prohibited below Mississippi legislation.
A key provision of SB 2510 includes enhanced penalties for violations. If handed, people or entities working such platforms in Mississippi might face felony costs, with potential penalties together with fines of as much as $100,000 and jail sentences of as much as ten years.
The laws additionally contains provisions for asset forfeiture, permitting the Mississippi Gaming Fee to grab any property, funds, or rights linked to unlawful on-line playing operations. The fee would have the authority to handle forfeited belongings, doubtlessly by way of contingency price agreements.
The invoice stipulates that prosecutions for violations might happen in both the county the place the offense occurred or in Hinds County, dwelling to Jackson, the state capital. Hinds County serves as the situation for key authorized and regulatory establishments, together with the Mississippi Supreme Court docket and the Lawyer Common’s workplace, offering a central venue for dealing with instances associated to on-line playing violations.
Moreover, SB 2510 proposes amendments to a number of sections of the Mississippi Code, equivalent to Sections 97-33-1, 97-33-7, and 97-33-8, to strengthen the authorized framework towards on-line playing.
One of many notable adjustments contains the introduction of the time period “simulated playing program,” which might cowl digital platforms that provide predetermined prizes or join contributors to cash-equivalent rewards, even when entry to those video games is bundled with unrelated purchases.
The invoice additionally addresses how on-line sweepstakes platforms typically market themselves as promotional contests somewhat than playing enterprises. Beneath the proposed laws, if such platforms permit customers to take part in video games of probability the place prizes are awarded randomly, they might be thought of playing operations and topic to the identical prohibitions as conventional casinos.
Regardless of its broad restrictions on on-line playing, SB 2510 doesn’t alter Mississippi’s current authorized playing framework. On line casino gaming performed aboard cruise vessels, licensed gaming institutions, and promotional actions by regulated gaming operators would stay unaffected.
The invoice additionally ensures that reliable advertising promotions, contests, and sweepstakes designed to draw customers, offered they adjust to state legal guidelines, wouldn’t be impacted by the brand new prohibitions.
SB 2510 is at the moment below evaluate within the Mississippi Senate’s Judiciary, Division B Committee. If handed, the laws would take impact on July 1, 2025.
The proposal in Mississippi comes amid wider discussions on tips on how to regulate on-line sweepstakes casinos throughout the USA. Whereas some states, equivalent to New Jersey, have launched laws to manage these platforms, others, together with Mississippi, are choosing outright bans.
In New Jersey, Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese lately launched Invoice A5196, which might require sweepstakes casinos to acquire a on line casino service trade enterprise license. The invoice defines sweepstakes casinos as platforms that don’t require an preliminary financial funding however permit customers to wager promotional gaming credit that may be redeemed for money or prizes. The New Jersey laws is at the moment into account within the Meeting’s Tourism, Gaming, and the Arts Committee.
