HB 1881 proposes to raise the tax rate to 16 per cent.

US.- A bill that would raise the tax rate on casinos in Mississippi has moved a step forward in the state’s House of Representatives. The Ways and Means Committee has approved HB 1881, which would increase casino tax from 12 to 16 per cent. It now heads to the full House.

Ways and Means chairman Trey Lamar said his bill was intended to recoup the money Mississippi was “losing” through not legalising online betting. He said: “If everybody’s honest with themselves, online sports betting is already going on”, but noted that the state is not generating any taxes from it since it is unregulated.

The Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) reported that casinos in the state generated $185.4m in revenue in January. That’s up 2.8 per cent from January 2024 but down 7.7 from December. The Coastal region accounted for more than 65 per cent of all revenue at $121.4m That was up 0.5 per cent from the same month in 2024. In the Northern region, revenue was $38.8m, up 6.9 per cent year-over-year. The Central region generated $25m, up 8.8 per cent from January 2024.