Mississippi Gambling Age: How Old Do You Need to Be to Gamble in Mississippi?

What are the gambling laws in Mississippi and how old do you need to be to legally wager on sports and casino? We reveal all.

The state of Mississippi. The birthplace of American Blues music. The birthplace of Oprah Winfrey. Famous for catfish, cotton and Southern charm. But what about its casino and sports betting industries?

Here’s everything you need to know about Mississippi gambling, from gambling laws in the state to the minimum gambling age.

The legal age for most gambling activities in Mississippi is 21. To put things into perspective, let’s outline the legal ages for gambling activities and other activities in the state.

There you go – you have to be 21 years old to engage in any gambling activity in the state of Mississippi. Well, other than charitable bingo.

The drinking age in Mississippi mirrors that of most legal gambling ages. You can legally obtain a driving license at 15 years old.

Mississippi gambling laws remain relevant due to the ever-changing landscape in the Hospitality State. However, what many don’t know about is Mississippi’s historic connection to the gambling world.

For a start, the state engaged in betting on horse races during the Spanish rule. And, if you know five-card poker, then you’ll be interested to hear that Mississippi was the place where it was invented!

However, the campaigning for the ban of all forms of gambling caught up with the state back in the 1950s, which forced MS gambling to become a black-market activity for decades.

The Creation of the Mississippi Gaming Control Act

The Mississippi Gaming Control Act (1990), combined with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (1988), allowed tribal and non-tribal casinos to open in certain areas. However, guidelines were fairly strict.

The Mississippi casino industry faced minimal competition, other than from tribal casinos in neighboring state Louisiana.

Fast forward to today, and those in Mississippi can engage in sports betting and casino gaming while present at a land-based casino in the state. Land-based casinos in Mississippi include:

And that’s just naming a few. But you’re here to read about the gambling age in Mississippi. Specifically, MS legal sports betting age and Mississippi casino age.

As of today, you can wager on sports in Mississippi. But only while at a physical, land-based casino. Fully mobile sports wagering is not yet permitted. You must also be of legal gambling age in Mississippi to place a sports bet.

Back in 2018, MS licensed sports betting began. Beau Rivage Resort & Casino and Gold Strike Casino Resort began accepting sports wagers in August 2018.

Now, there is a real push for fully remote sports wagering in Mississippi. States like Maryland and Ohio have just legalized mobile sports betting, so why shouldn’t Mississippi?

New bill HB606 has been introduced in the House of Senate. Time will tell if MS sports betting will become remote in the state.

Gambling isn’t just limited to sports and casino. Within each segment of gambling, there are multiple possibilities. Here’s what you need to know about some different types of betting in the Hospitality State.

NFL Betting in Mississippi

In the state, you can only wager on the National Football League if you are in-person at the casino. But that doesn’t phase people.

Similarly, you can just visit a neighboring state where sports betting is legal. For example, you’ve got Tennessee in the North and Louisiana in the West.

Mississippi doesn’t have any NFL franchises located in the state. But the appetite for NFL betting is not reduced because of this.

NBA Betting in Mississippi

Similar to the NFL, there are currently no NBA teams in Mississippi. However, those in the state will be eager to bet on the basketball regardless. And there are plenty of sportsbook promo codes out there for NBA wagering.

Once again, you must be at least 21 years old to bet on the NBA in Mississippi.

Horse Racing in Mississippi

Do you enjoy a bet on the horses? Well, unfortunately, horse racing and horse race betting is strictly prohibited in MS. The only exception to this rule is betting on horse racing on a legal cruise ship casino.

Casinos in Mississippi

As long as you meet the legal Mississippi casino age, you can play casino games in-person.

Mississippi casinos are in fact cruise boats on Mississippi River or on any waters where MS voters have approved gambling. There are also casinos on land, but these are owned by Native American tribes.