Share
Mississippi casinos were likely thrilled that September finally arrived.
Total sports betting revenue was up 141% from August to September, and table games and slots revenue increased by 5.7%.
NFL, NCAA seasons supercharge sports betting revenue
Heading into September, Mississippi’s sportsbooks had been struggling…hard. Handle didn’t top $30 million from May to August, and it reached rock bottom in July.
All that changed, though, this past month, thanks to the start of the NFL and NCAA football seasons. Mississippi’s September sports betting handle (total amount bet) rocketed to $51.6 million, the highest total since January and nearly triple what sportsbooks received in July.
The increased handle led to a jump in revenue of 202.6% and the highest monthly revenue total of the year.
| Month | Total Sports Betting Handle | Month-on-Month Change | Total Sports Betting Revenue | Month-on-Month Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | $51,647,914.72 | 141.4% | $8,144,027.54 | 202.6% |
| August | $21,392,231.38 | 20.7% | $2,691,243.60 | 9.2% |
| July | $17,728,738.50 | -13.2% | $2,463,671.42 | 33.3% |
| June | $20,414,901.65 | -23.7% | $1,848,676.33 | -41.9% |
| May | $26,761,690.60 | -15.9% | $3,180,952.77 | -26.8% |
| April | $31,805,003.88 | -31.9% | $4,347,138.17 | 229.8% |
| March | $46,689,391.65 | 17.3% | $1,317,945.41 | 22.8% |
| February | $39,807,504.26 | -30.4% | $1,073,092.92 | -25.3% |
| January | $57,223,250.63 | N/A | $1,436,956.47 | N/A |
| Total | $313,470,627.27 | N/A | $26,503,704.63 | N/A |
Breaking down Mississippi sports betting numbers by region
Region-level sports betting numbers give us a glimpse into how influential football betting was to sportsbooks’ bottom lines this past month.
According to the latest data from the Mississippi Gaming Commission bets on football games accounted for roughly half of the state’s handle and more than half of revenue totals in the Coastal and Central regions.
Central
| Sports Type | Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Sports - Football | $5,935,048.91 | $435,127.27 |
| Sports - Basketball | $166,396.21 | $7,035.17 |
| Sports - Baseball | $1,291,297.32 | $169,026.72 |
| Sports Parlay Cards | $4,830,155.64 | $1,053,656.93 |
| Other | $108,136.85 | ($5,355.32) |
| Overall | $12,331,034.93 | $1,659,490.77 |
Coastal
| Sports Type | Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Football | $19,332,644.48 | $3,450,046.27 |
| Basketball | $235,916.11 | ($1,460.75) |
| Baseball | $3,862,924.53 | $380,578.05 |
| Parlays | $5,359,855.90 | $1,270,013.96 |
| Other | $4,703,453.47 | $686,532.65 |
| Overall | $33,494,794.49 | $5,785,710.18 |
Northern
| Sports Type | Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Football | $3,434,245.38 | $352,054.90 |
| Basketball | $191,021.64 | ($21,019.50) |
| Baseball | $342,744.93 | $57,998.96 |
| Parlays | $1,542,319.22 | $290,150.52 |
| Other | $311,754.13 | $19,641.71 |
| Overall | $5,822,085.30 | $698,826.59 |
Casino revenue continues up-and-down trend
This past month, Mississippi casinos in the central, coastal, and northern regions generated just under $210 million in adjusted gross gaming revenue (revenue that accounts for casino win and certain deductions). It was the third-highest revenue total for the year and the third-highest month-on-month increase in 2023.
Also, September’s positive growth continued the state’s seven-month yo-yo trend, in which casino revenue is up one month and down the next.
| Month | Central Region | Coastal Region | Northern Region | Total | Month-on-Month Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | $27,443,096.80 | $135,392,235.14 | $47,154,695.05 | $209,990,026.99 | 5.7% |
| August | $25,069,515.30 | $128,565,902.48 | $45,108,528.07 | $198,743,945.85 | -9.1% |
| July | $27,027,992.15 | $143,196,496.77 | $48,375,085.32 | $218,599,574.24 | 10.3% |
| June | $26,560,323.47 | $127,341,857.77 | $44,286,194.83 | $198,188,376.07 | -5.7% |
| May | $27,168,292.70 | $135,395,413.06 | $47,677,447.47 | $210,241,153.23 | 0.4% |
| April | $28,672,846.22 | $131,244,684.17 | $49,488,868.00 | $209,406,398.39 | -7.7% |
| March | $32,292,773.35 | $142,101,405.63 | $52,393,029.44 | $226,787,208.42 | 9.9% |
| February | $27,512,611.00 | $133,443,060.75 | $45,436,412.72 | $206,392,084.47 | 2.2% |
| January | $26,629,872.84 | $129,430,640.02 | $45,897,307.80 | $201,957,820.66 | N/A |
| Total | $248,377,323.83 | $1,206,111,695.79 | $425,817,568.70 | $1,672,457,007 | N/A |
What’s ahead for Mississippi casino revenue?
If 2022 is any indication of where casino and sports betting revenue is headed next month, the numbers will be tepid next month.
From September 2022 to October 2022, casino gross revenue dipped from around $206 million to around $196 million. If we do see a drop, the yo-yo trend will have continued for eight months. It’s likely revenue will land somewhere in the range of $204 million to $210 million.
On the sports betting side, the handle was up more than 25% from September to October last year. However, revenue dropped roughly $1 million. It’s hard to say if that trend will repeat itself in 2023. Expect revenue to fall somewhere between $7.5 million and $8.5 million.
