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- The Mississippi Senate unanimously passed SB2104 to explicitly ban online sweepstakes casinos, moving the measure to the House.
- This narrows an earlier proposal and keeps the focus on sweepstakes-style gaming rather than broader online sports betting debates, a development that matters to players and operators monitoring state-level regulation.
The Mississippi Senate cleared Senate Bill 2104 without opposition, targeting online sweepstakes casinos and similar digital gaming models that lawmakers say operate in a legal “gray” area.
The legislation updates the state’s definition of illegal gambling to explicitly include sweepstakes-style platforms and extends liability beyond operators to those that market or promote these sites.
The sponsors, Sens. Joey Fillingane and David Blount, reintroduced the measure after a prior 2025 attempt stalled in the House when it was amended to include online sports betting.
Measure includes six-figure penalty
SB2104 carries steep penalties – fines up to $100,000 and potential felony charges with prison terms up to 10 years – and is designed to give regulators and law enforcement broader authority to shut down offending services.
The bill signals a tighter regulatory stance that could reduce local access to sweepstakes-style platforms. Because Mississippi has not legalized online casinos, lawmakers are prioritizing enforcement rather than expansion, which means bettors in the state may see fewer legal options for online casual gaming.
For operators and affiliates, SB2104 raises the stakes: the widened legal definition and heavy penalties expose both platform operators and marketing partners to significant criminal and civil risk.
SB2104 now advances to the Mississippi House, where its narrower scope improves its chance of passage compared with 2025.
Based on reporting by Frank Ammirante for DeadSpin.
