Football wagers took off in September as expected, helping Mississippi sports betting to a robust second month of revenue.
The first full month of football betting led to nearly $4 million in revenue for Mississippi casinos, according to information from the Mississippi Gaming Commission. With little football on the calendar in August, this month became the one to watch as gridiron action took off in Mississippi.
Mississippi casinos totaled more than $5.5 million in overall revenue in September on more than $31.7 million in handle. That represents a major move forward from the initial month in August, when casinos took in $644,000 in revenue on $6.3 million in wagers.
The state posted a remarkable win percentage of 17.3 in September, leaping from better than 10 percent in August. When compared to Nevada‘s historical hold of just more than 5 percent, Mississippi’s month looks even more impressive.
How Mississippi sports betting revenue breaks down
The MGC breaks down Mississippi sports betting revenue by region. The state’s 28 casinos are separated into three groups: central, coastal, and northern.
Central | Coastal | Northern | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Football | $421,225 | $2,923,511 | $637,030 | $3,981,766 |
Basketball | ($5,797) | $1,734 | $2,062 | ($2,001) |
Baseball | $9,365 | ($116,098) | ($7,389) | ($114,122) |
Parlay | $38,449 | $981,065 | $457,173 | $1,476,687 |
Other | $24,219 | $118,834 | $35,305 | $178,358 |
Overall September revenue | $470,564 | $3,909,046 | $1,124,181 | $5,503,792 |
What we can read from the numbers
The September breakdown yields a few interesting notes:
- Football is king in Mississippi. Pigskin wagering accounted for nearly three-quarters of all Mississippi sports betting revenue in September. This is not surprising to note, but certainly underscores just how important football betting is in the South.
- Mississippi sportsbooks matched their overall state win percentage on football alone. Books held 17.4 percent of gridiron wagers. That will be an awfully tough numbers to sustain moving forward on football or any other sport.
- Baseball did not prove as lucrative for Mississippi sportsbooks in September. They posted an overall loss on the diamond, just as New Jersey sportsbooks did for the month.
- It’s also important to remember that more sportsbooks were active in September in Mississippi. A total of 10 casinos offered sports betting in the second month of legal activity. More sportsbooks, more handle, more revenue — or so the Magnolia State hopes, of course.
Mobile still not moving in Mississippi
The most important factor to keep in mind in Mississippi: there is no true mobile sports betting available. State regulations only permit mobile wagering on the grounds of a casino. To date, no Mississippi casinos have chosen to go that route.
This means all Mississippi sports betting is being done at physical sportsbooks. When comparing to other states that launched mobile sports betting, it appears Mississippi might be leaving revenue on the table.
New Jersey mobile sports betting already surpassed revenue for land-based betting. Nearly three-quarters of Nevada sports betting now takes places on mobile, according to industry sources.
Mississippi definitely made the September move forward most expected thanks to football. Going mobile and online could grow that move exponentially.