House approves felony penalties targeting offshore illegal sportsbook operators
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Summary
Lawmakers inserted new penalties into a gaming bill to give state authorities stronger tools against offshore illegal sports-betting operators and reaffirmed mobile sports wagering tethered to brick-and-mortar casinos; the House approved the measure 82-19.
The House adopted a strike-all on Senate Bill 25 10 that inserts new criminal penalties targeting offshore illegal online sportsbooks and restores state mobile-sports wagering language tied to licensed casinos.
The floor sponsor described the changes as a crackdown on offshore operators that, he said, generate “between $200 million and $800 million in our state” while evading state regulators. The amendment makes operation of certain offshore illegal iGaming sites a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine for offenses described in the strike-all. The sponsor said the measure keeps the state’s mobile sports-wagering framework “tethered to a bricks-and-mortar casino,” preserves geo‑fencing protections and the 21-year-old age limit.
Representative (Adams) Johnson asked how the state would prosecute offshore companies outside Mississippi’s jurisdiction. The sponsor said the bill is aimed primarily at in-state entities and at providing the Gaming Commission “some teeth” to pursue illegal operators; he acknowledged jurisdictional limits for companies physically outside the state.
The House adopted the strike-all and on final passage the clerk recorded 82 yeas and 19 nays; the bill passed.
What this means: the enacted language strengthens criminal penalties for certain illegal online gambling operators and codifies protections and regulatory structure for mobile sports wagering tied to licensed casinos. The measure gives state enforcement authorities stronger statutory penalties to pursue in-state illegal operators and provides a statutory basis to coordinate enforcement efforts against offshore operations, subject to jurisdictional limits.
