Mobile online sports betting examined by lawmakers, industry leaders

Democratic Sen. David Blount, a member of the task force, says whatever form that bill takes should protect the state's already highly successful gaming industry.

“My primary interest as it relates to gaming in Mississippi, is to protect the jobs of tens of thousands of Mississippians who work in this important business that has a big economic impact,” Blount said. “How will that be affected by betting on cell phones?”

Those who are financially invested in the state's casinos stand to lose revenue if mobile sports betting is legalized, and are generally against it. Don Mitchell, who owns casinos in Vicksburg and Tunica argues that in-state gaming companies won't be able to compete with mobile gambling giants who can afford to lose large sums of money to attract customers.

“When Amazon first came on the online retail scene, their business model was to lose hundreds of millions of dollars, as has FanDuel and DraftKings,” Mitchell said. “What they're doing is establishing themselves as the go to name in all of these markets.”

Proponents of mobile sports betting argue that legalization would disrupt the massive amount of illegal sports betting that occurs in states without regulated mobile betting markets.