What Happened Last Year
In 2025, the Senate passed a similar sweepstakes ban without much resistance, but once it reached the House, things changed. Lawmakers added language to legalize online sports betting, and that totally transformed the bill into something far bigger than a sweepstakes measure.
By the time it returned to the Senate, it wasn’t the same bill anymore, and it couldn’t survive conference negotiations.
The ban didn’t collapse because senators reconsidered sweepstakes gaming. It collapsed because it got tangled in a completely different battle.
What’s Different This Time
Senators Joey Fillingane and David Blount came back this year with a tighter bill and a clearer target.
SB 2104 now explicitly adds “internet sweepstakes casinos” and “online sweepstakes casino-style games” to the state’s definition of illegal gambling devices. Because earlier versions didn’t spell it out so directly, this year’s bill leaves far less room for interpretation.
SB 2104 doesn’t just prohibit operating sweepstakes platforms, it also bans promoting them. And it goes a step further, by targeting so-called simulated gambling programs where players give something of value, either directly or indirectly, to participate. That language is aimed squarely at the virtual coin systems sweepstakes sites rely on to function.
This time, the definitions are tighter and the net is wider.
The Penalties
If SB 2104 becomes law, running or promoting an online sweepstakes casino in Mississippi would be a felony. Penalties could include fines of up to $100,000, or even prison sentences of up to 10 years.
The bill is set to take effect July 1, assuming it clears the House and receives the governor’s signature. That level of consequence helps explain why this vote carries weight.
Why This Vote Feels Different
The 52–0 vote didn’t come out of nowhere. Mississippi has been circling this issue for over a year.
Back in 2025, the Senate already approved a similar measure. Around the same time, the Mississippi Gaming Commission sent cease-and-desist letters to sweepstakes and other unlicensed operators serving the state. Some platforms adjusted. Others didn’t.
So this wasn’t a sudden shift in mood. It was the Senate picking up where it left off, and this time, moving with far less hesitation.
The Sports Betting Question Lingers
Before anyone calls this a done deal, there’s one more wrinkle.
In the very same week the Senate approved the sweepstakes ban, the House once again passed a bill to legalize online sports betting. It’s the third year in a row the House has signed off on mobile wagering.
Now the two bills head to opposite chambers, and that’s where things fell apart last time.
The sweepstakes ban got tangled up in the sports betting debate, and the entire thing collapsed.
The difference now is that lawmakers appear determined to keep the issues separate. Whether the House keeps it that way or not, remains to be seen.
What This Means
Mississippi is making a clear policy choice.
Last year, the effort stumbled. This year, the Senate left no doubt about where it stands.
If the House doesn’t replay last session’s drama, Mississippi will join the growing number of states that have decided sweepstakes casinos don’t belong in their gambling market.
After a year of detours and dead ends, Mississippi looks ready to close the book on the sweepstakes question, and this time, it feels final.
Blaise Luis
