Mississippi
Online betting one step closer to being legalized in Mississippi
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – If you are a fan of online sports betting here’s some good news for you, it’s now one step closer to becoming legal here in Mississippi.
The House passed the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act after nearly an hour of discussion. It would allow you to place bets online.
Under the bill, gambling companies, such as FanDuel and DraftKings are required to partner with one of the state’s 26 casinos to do business.
However, casinos can only partner with one platform. The majority of house members agreed to pass the bill, but some are still having concerns and issues with this legislation, including fears that smaller casinos won’t be able to cash in this new proposed form of betting.
”All of the casinos don’t want this,” said District 74 Representative Lee Yancey, who voted against the bill. “Some do and some don’t. There are lots of questions about where the money would go, and I’m not satisfied that those questions were answered. If this kind of thing is going to happen, I would like to see everyone get on board and work out their differences before they bring it to the rest of us.”
”All I’m doing is trying to give another product to our casino Industry and our state to stay competitive, and I feel like that’s what we are doing,” said District 116 State Representative Casey Eure, who introduced the bill. “Because we have such an illegal market out there right now, it’s going to benefit the state obviously with tax dollars, but it’s also going to protect against underage people placing bets on these illegal sites right now.”
“At least let the money follow where the casino is,” said District 94 State Representative Robert Johnson, who voted against the bill. “If you are in Natchez and you are on a platform, their platform no matter what contract or casino they have a contract with, their platform’s revenue opts to go to the local casino. It keeps the casino open, he keeps the jobs there, and keeps some revenue in that county or that area where it is.”
Right now, mobile sports betting is legal in more than two dozen states including some right next to us in Tennessee in Louisiana.
Representative Eure said online sports betting is estimated to bring in roughly $35 million a year to the state.
That money will be used to repair roads and bridges.
The bill now goes over to the Senate. If the bill passes in that chamber, online sports betting would be legal starting in July.
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Mississippi
It’s 2,350 miles long, spans 31 US states and is home to a 100kg animal with a tongue that looks like a worm | Discover Wildlife
The Mississippi River flows for around 2,350 miles through the heart of the US. It drains an area of 1.2 million square miles – that’s roughly 40% of the country – and at certain points is 11 miles wide. It is North America’s second longest river, behind the Missouri River.
Rising from Lake Itasca in Minnesota, the Mississippi winds southwards through a range of environments, draining water from 31 US states before reaching its delta at the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana.
The sheer size of the river and the diversity of habitats it passes through make it a refuge for a huge range of animal species, including more than 260 fish, 326 birds, 50 mammals and at least 145 amphibians and reptiles, according to the National Park Service.
There are many weird and wonderful animals living within the Mississippi’s vast waters, but surely one of the strangest is the alligator snapping turtle.
This prehistoric-looking reptile is massive. It can weigh up to 100kg and males can grow well over half a metre long, making it the largest freshwater turtle in North America.
And as if its size wasn’t enough, the alligator snapper has a host of other characteristics that make it one of the Mississippi’s most striking creatures, including a dark, spiky shell (known as carapace), a brick-like head and a sharp, hooked beak. With such a formidable appearance, it’s easy to see how the turtle got its ‘alligator’ name.
But perhaps the turtle’s most curious feature is a worm-like appendage found on its tongue, which it uses as a lure to catch prey, such as fish, amphibians and invertebrates. Alligator snappers are also quite happy scavenging for food.
More amazing wildlife stories from around the world
NIL money comes with a price. More specifically, a tax bill.
The Mississippi legislature is trying to reduce that burden for college athletes who play there.
Via Bea Anhuci of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, the Mississippi House of Representatives has passed a bill that would exempt NIL earnings from state income tax.
It’s a recruiting tool for Ole Miss and Mississippi State, one that would put the Mississippi schools on equal footing with other states that host SEC universities. Florida, Tennessee, and Texas have no state income tax, and Arkansas carved out NIL earnings from the state’s income tax burden in 2025.
Mississippi currently charges a four-percent tax on anyone making more than $10,000 per year.
NIL earnings remain subject to federal income tax.
The bill will have to also pass the Mississippi Senate, and the governor would then be required to sign it into law.
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