Mississippi casinos kicked off 2024 on a high note, generating more revenue than during the previous quarter.
According to the latest report from the American Gaming Association, casinos across the Magnolia State brought in $622.1 million in the year’s first quarter, a nearly $20 million increase from Q4 2023. AGA added that a record $17.67 billion was acquired nationwide from gaming institutions, topping Q4 2023 and marking the 13th consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth across the U.S.
“Traditional brick-and-mortar casino gaming maintained quarterly revenue growth in Q1. Slot machines and table games generated $12.34 billion – a modest increase of 0.3 percent year-over-year that could have been stronger if not for a sluggish January impacted by severe weather in regional gaming markets nationwide,” a portion of the AGA report pointed out.
“In March, casino slot machines and table games generated an all-time monthly revenue record of $4.46 billion, a 2.7 percent year-over-year increase and surpassing the previous high of $4.40 billion set in July 2023.”
While Mississippi started the year on a high note compared to the end of 2023, the state did experience a 2 percent decrease in year-over-year revenue as it did not match or exceed Q1 2023 earnings.
One avenue that experts say would have brought in more revenue for Mississippi is if the state would implement mobile sports betting instead of forcing people to bet on games, races, and events in person at sportsbooks. The AGA’s report indicated that sports wagering revenue soared nationally to $3.33 billion – a 22 percent annual increase and a new record for Q1. North Carolina, a state that prohibits commercial casinos, recently welcomed mobile sports betting this year and earned $66.5 million in its first partial month of operations.
Legislation that would have legalized mobile sports betting in Mississippi failed this year, despite stipulations added that would have protected brick-and-mortar casinos. Various lawmakers have told SuperTalk Mississippi News that they plan to rediscuss the topic during the 2025 session.
