The gaming industry is shaping up to have another good year here in Mississippi, according to the state’s quarter-one report.
From January through April 2023, casinos in the state generated a total of $852 million in revenue. Larry Gregory, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming & Hospitality Association, said the current numbers are reflective of what the industry was seeing this time last year on its way to a record-breaking haul.
“We’re doing extremely well in our industry,” Gregory explained. “We’re at $852 million. That’s right on track year-over-year of what we did in 2022. So, we’re expecting another good year.”
In 2022, $200 billion was generated through legal gambling in the U.S., with $3.3 billion of the share being made in the Magnolia State. Gregory acknowledged the role that the Mississippi Gulf Coast played in the milestone, recently being ranked as a top-five national gaming market.
“It’s a very competitive market out there. Mississippi, back in the day in the 90s when we got here, we were looking at Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and us. It’s not that way anymore.” Gregory added. “It’s a big industry, but we’re staying competitive.”
Last year, a record-breaking $1.6 billion was generated on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, largely due to the presence of luxury resort-style casinos. Though nothing new is currently in the works, Gregory is optimistic that the economic success will produce more additions to the state’s gaming industry.
“When you have revenue such as that, you’re going to have investments or investors kind of looking, so it wouldn’t surprise me if something comes up in the future for the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” Gregory said.
