Mississippi Attempts Second Crackdown on Sweepstakes Casinos

Senate Bill 2104 has been filed in Mississippi with the aim of outlawing sweepstakes casinos in the Magnolia State – this follows on from a similar but failed bill from last year.

The bipartisan proposal was introduced by Rep. Senator Joey Fillingane and Dem. Senator David Blount (both pictured) late last week; it currently sits with the Senate Judiciary, Division B Committee.

By SweepsKings’ reckoning, this makes MS the fourth state with a new anti-sweeps bill for 2026, the others being Florida, Indiana, and Maine.

SB 2104 Follows on From Last Year’s SB 2510

This is not the first time such an effort has been made in Mississippi.

SB 2510 was introduced during last year’s session and made significant progress before ‘dying in conference’ after the addition of wording that would have legalized online sports betting in the state. That amendment was made by Chair of the House Gaming Committee, Representative Casey Eure, and ran somewhat contrary to the initial intent of the bill.

At the time, it was good news for the sweepstakes vertical, but Mississippi lawmakers like Fillingane and Blount are evidently hoping for a successful passage on a second go round in 2026.

SB 2104’s text would introduce amendments to Sections 97-33-1 and 97-33-7 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, updating legislation to include explicit bans on “online sweepstakes casino-style games”, as well as “online race books” and “online sports pools”.

Essentially, it’s updating an older set of laws to cover newer, online forms of gambling deemed illegal. In fact, the current legislation already outlaws internet sweepstakes cafes, that amendment having been made in 2013 via HB 974.

In terms of penalties, SB 2104 looks to incriminate both operators and promoters of sweepstakes sites with a felony designation, fines of up to $100,000, and up to 10 years in prison. These penalties mirror SB 2510, and the potential prison sentence is certainly one of the longer ones when compared with other recent anti-sweeps proposals.

Sports betting and gaming lawyer, Daniel Wallach has already stated on LinkedIn he believes the likelihood of passage is “very high”, citing the progression of last year’s SB 2510 (before amendments were made).

Other Recent Sweepstakes Related Actions in Mississippi

We also saw the Mississippi Gaming Commission send cease-and-desist letters to unlicensed casino operators during summer last year.

This included a letter to sweepstakes giant VGW, alleging contravention of Mississippi gaming laws, and it resulted in VGW removing sweepstakes play from its platforms in the state. The effects can still be seen today, with Chumba, LuckyLand, and Global Poker only offering Gold Coin AKA free play in the Magnolia State, rather than Gold Coin with Sweeps Coin play.

It’s also worth noting that VGW was sued in Mississippi by plaintiff Makayla Darrielle Saulny in October 2024. Saulny accused the sweeps company of unlicensed gambling activities, and this case is still active, but given VGW’s history of relying on arbitration clauses in similar lawsuits, it’s likely to be moved out of federal court, though no ruling has yet been issued.

One final point of note is that SB 2104 declines to use the phrase “dual currency” which we often see in comparable bills in other states. SB 2104 opts for a more broad definition, with the following wording:

This could actually make the bill stronger because it can cover any online sweepstakes or casino-like model, regardless of the platform’s currency mechanics.

Either way, this is another bill we’ll be monitoring closely over the coming months as it begins its journey through the committees, with passage potentially reshaping the landscape for sweepstakes casinos in Mississippi.