Mississippi
Mississippi sports betting revenue drops 8.8% to $3.1m in April
Mississippi reported sports betting revenues of $3.1m (£2.7m/€3.1m) for April, down 8.8% from March’s total.
Sports betting revenue in Mississippi for April fell short of March’s figure of $3.4m, and was 27.9% down on the same month last year, when $4.3m in revenue was reported.
Total handle for the month was $34.3m. This was a 22.9% decrease on the $44.5m in bets taken in March. However, it was 7.9% ahead of April 2023’s figure of $31.8m.
In terms of where bets were placed, Mississippi’s coastal casinos again led the way, reporting $1.5m in revenue and $23.6m in handle.
Central casinos took $6.6m in bets and generated revenue of $1.2m. Northern casinos, meanwhile, reported handle and revenue of $4.1m and $402,880 respectively.
What sports are they betting on in Mississippi?
With the National Football League (NFL) season having ended in February, basketball and baseball were the most popular sports for betting at Mississippi’s coastal casinos over April.
Baseball narrowly led the way for handle with $8.7m at coastal casinos, also generating $1.3m in revenue. They took $8.6m in basketball bets but reported a $525,117 loss on those wagers.
For central casinos, meanwhile, sports parlay cards led the way with $2.9m in handle to basketball’s $2.3m. Parlay-card revenue was $908,108, with basketball and baseball revenue totaling $220,331 and $48,922 respectively.
Mississippi online sports betting bill dies in committee
On 29 April, a bill for legal online sports betting in Mississippi died in conference committee. HB 774 would have allowed up to 30 online wagering platforms if they were tethered with casinos. A 12% tax rate would also have been set.
However, despite the house approving HB 774 in February, the bill didn’t make it out of senate.
Following the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May 2018, Mississippi became the third US state to launch a form of legal sports betting.
However, it appears wagering will remain only available in land-based casinos and on-site mobile for the near future, despite three of the four states bordering Mississippi offering online betting.
Mississippi
Death investigation underway after Columbia Academy graduate taken off life support in Florida
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WDAM) – A death investigation has been opened after deputies in Florida responded to a life-threatening call involving a recent Columbia Academy graduate.
WDAM’s sister station, WJHG, reported that the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said Shannon Thomas Tanner, 19, was expected to be taken off of life support Wednesday after being declared brain dead.
According to the incident report obtained by WJHG, on Sunday, May 18, deputies arrived at a home in Panama City Beach and were told that Tanner had been drinking alcohol.
The report says an investigator asked someone at the home what happened, with the person telling the investigator that Tanner was “drinking too much.” EMS reportedly treated Tanner on scene.
BCSO is investigating the death of a 19-year-old from Mississippi
The cause of the medical emergency has not been confirmed, and the investigation is ongoing.
According to a GoFundMe set up to help with funeral expenses, Tanner was on his senior trip after graduating from Columbia Academy.
Columbia Academy made a Facebook post expressing its condolences for the family, saying the recent graduate was “the kind of person who can make anyone laugh, light up a room with his personality and dance moves, and make others feel valued simply by being himself.”
Return to WDAM 7 for updates on this developing story.
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Copyright 2026 WDAM. All rights reserved.
Mississippi State softball is one step away from reaching the program’s first Women’s College World Series.
But to get there, the Bulldogs (41-18) will have to get through one of the top programs in the sport.
MSU is facing Oklahoma (51-8), the No. 3 national seed, in the NCAA Tournament super regional. The best-of-three series begins May 22 (noon, ESPN2) at Love’s Field in Norman, Oklahoma.
Here is a scouting report and prediction for the super regional.
Oklahoma easily won its regional
The Sooners breezed through the Norman Regional, outscoring Binghamton, Kansas and Michigan 28-1 in three games.
That wasn’t much of a surprise for a team that’s made nine consecutive Women’s College World Series and hasn’t missed a super regional since 2009. Oklahoma has won eight national championships, seven of them since 2013.
Oklahoma is 27-1 at home this season, with the only loss to Arkansas on April 18.
Mississippi State coach Samantha Ricketts played at Oklahoma from 2006-09 and then was a graduate assistant at Oklahoma from 2009-11.
MSU is 0-11 all time against Oklahoma.
Oklahoma led by Kendall Wells’ 37 home runs
The offense has been Oklahoma’s strength, especially from a power standpoint. The Sooners have hit 182 home runs in 2026, the second most in the country behind UCLA and 80 more than the next best SEC team.
Freshman Kendall Wells has 37 home runs, the most in program and SEC history. Four other players have at least 19 home runs.
The Sooners also rank first in the SEC in batting average and runs scored.
Oklahoma’s pitching staff ranks eighth in the SEC with a 3.02 ERA.
Can Alyssa Faircloth continue dominance vs Oklahoma?
A big part of Mississippi State winning the Eugene Regional was Alyssa Faircloth’s dominant pitching. She threw 15⅔ shutout innings in the regional. That included a no-hitter against host Oregon and then another complete-game shutout against Saint Mary’s in the regional final.
The Troy transfer and SEC Newcomer of the Year has a 2.28 ERA and 16-7 record. Her 261 strikeouts are a single-season program record.
The Bulldogs, who rank third in the SEC in team ERA at 2.15, also have Peja Goold, who started the first game of the Eugene Regional. She has a 2.12 ERA and 15-10 record.
Mississippi State vs OU softball super regional prediction
Oklahoma wins super regional 2-0: The Sooners are a big step up in competition. Faircloth and Goold give MSU a chance, but the offense will need to keep up.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
HOOVER, AL — There was an upset in the first game of the SEC Tournament.
No. 8 seed Mississippi State (39-16) will play No. 16 Missouri (24-30) in the second round after the Tigers defeated No. 9 Ole Miss 10-8 on May 19.
First pitch on May 20 will be at 9:30 a.m. The game will air on SEC Network.
The Bulldogs, led by new coach Brian O’Connor, did not play Missouri this season. They swept the Tigers last season, scoring 50 runs in the series.
When is Mississippi State baseball vs Missouri?
Mississippi State versus Missouri in the SEC Tournament is at 9:30 a.m. CT on May 20. It is the first of four SEC Tournament games for the day.
The winner will play No. 1 Georgia (43-12) on May 21 at 3 p.m..
Mississippi State baseball vs Missouri TV channel
Mississippi State versus Missouri will air on SEC Network.
Streaming is available via Fubo.
SEC Tournament schedule
All times Central
Tuesday, May 19
- Game 1: 16-seed Missouri 10, 9-seed Ole Miss 8, 9:30 a.m. on SEC Network
- Game 2: 12-seed Vanderbilt vs. 13-seed Kentucky, approx. 1 p.m. on SEC Network
- Game 3: 10-seed Tennessee vs. 15-seed South Carolina, approx. 4:30 p.m. on SEC Network
- Game 4: 11-seed Oklahoma vs. 14-seed LSU, approx. 8 p.m. on SEC Network
Wednesday, May 20
- Game 5: 8-seed Mississippi State vs. 16-seed Missouri, 9:30 a.m. on SEC Network
- Game 6: 5-seed Florida vs. Game 2 winner, approx. 1 p.m. on SEC Network
- Game 7: 7-seed Arkansas vs. Game 3 winner, approx. 4:30 p.m. on SEC Network
- Game 8: 6-seed Auburn vs. Game 4 winner, approx. 8 p.m. on SEC Network
Thursday, May 21
- Game 9: 1-seed Georgia vs. Game 5 winner, 3 p.m. on SEC Network
- Game 10: 4-seed Alabama vs. Game 6 winner, approx. 7 p.m. on SEC Network
Friday, May 22
- Game 11: 2-seed Texas vs. Game 7 winner, 3 p.m. on SEC Network
- Game 12: 3-seed Texas A&M vs. Game 8 winner, approx. 7 p.m. on SEC Network
Saturday, May 23
- Game 13: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, noon on SEC Network
- Game 14: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, approx. 4 p.m. on SEC Network
Sunday, May 24
Championship Game: Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner, 1 p.m. on ABC
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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