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After an April in which casino revenue fell to $192 million, Mississippi casinos have bounced back with consecutive months of $200 million in revenue.
The state’s three gaming regions — Central, Coastal, and North — combined for $202.1 million in gaming revenue in June. This is down around $8 million from Mississippi’s May 2024 gaming revenue but up more than $10 million over April.
Key takeaway
- Mississippi casinos made $202.1 million in June, good for a second consecutive month of $200 million in revenue.
- Online casinos represent tens of millions of revenue for Mississippi but lawmakers have yet to legalize them.
- Revenue fell 3.6% month on month but rose 1.9% compared to June 2023.
Is Mississippi close to having online casinos?
Unfortunately, no. Online casinos have Olympic-level hurdles to pass before they become a reality in Mississippi.
First hurdle: The Magnolia State doesn’t have any online gaming. Online sports betting typically softens lawmakers to online casinos, but not in Mississippi.
Second hurdle: The environment below the Mason-Dixon Line is entirely unhospitable for online casinos. Not a single state south of West Virginia has legal online casinos.
Despite the hurdles that Mississippi online casinos face, one thing it has going for it will be hard for lawmakers to ignore: tax revenue.
PlayUSA estimates that Mississippi online casinos could generate at least $50 million in a good month, making it the fourth-biggest market in the country. If lawmakers legalize iGaming and tax revenue at 15%, online casinos could bring the state as much as $7.5 million for every $50 million in revenue.
June revenue passes $200 million, surges ahead in annual numbers
According to June 2024 data from the Mississippi Gaming Commission, this past month, Mississippi casinos generated $202.1 million in revenue, good enough for the fourth-highest total this year.
Revenue fell 3.6% month-on-month but surged 1.95% over June 2023’s total of $198.2 million.
| Month | Central | Coastal | Northern | Total | % change, monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2024 | $26,142,459.50 | $131,781,701.11 | $44,134,061.36 | $202,058,221.97 | -3.61% |
| May | $27,556,577.93 | $136,496,695.56 | $45,576,001.09 | $209,629,274.58 | 9.17% |
| April | $26,164,435.30 | $124,186,660.28 | $41,668,811.57 | $192,019,907.15 | -18.34% |
| March | $32,431,906.56 | $148,961,409.22 | $53,748,956.84 | $235,142,272.62 | 13.77% |
| February | $27,903,770.73 | $131,454,852.35 | $47,318,074.81 | $206,676,697.89 | 14.64% |
| January | $23,039,308.50 | $120,876,868.66 | $36,360,257.12 | $180,276,434.28 | -17.99% |
2024 casino performance lags in post-pandemic market
Mississippi is somewhat of an anomaly in that yearly revenue has fallen every year since 2021. Generally speaking, the opposite is true; casino revenue has increased since 2021 in multiple markets.
Here’s how year-end revenue has looked since 2021:
- 2021: $2.67 billion
- 2022: $2.57 billion
- 2023: $2.48 billion
So far, it looks like 2024 will continue that streak. Revenue is on track to finish at around $2.45 billion.
Year to date, casinos have made $1.23 billion. In June 2023, that number was slightly higher at $1.25 billion.
