Mississippi has always had a reputation as being a state that was strictly against any forms of gambling. Up until recently, even the lottery wasn’t available.
The Magnolia State seems to be doing a better job of keeping up with the gambling industry as of the past few years, legalizing sports betting, and introducing a bill to allow a state lottery.
The only form of casino gambling available in MS is by riverboat, each run by Native American Tribes. The state has over 20 gambling facilities, which actually makes it one of the gaming hotspots in the country.
You can even watch horse races but are not permitted to place bets on them.
Online casinos are not permitted, however, Daily Fantasy Sports is available for players to wager in.
In our guide, we’ll break down every gambling option in Mississippi and where residents can go to play.
We’ll also take a trip back in time to look at the history of gambling in MS and why so many tourists are heading to the Magnolia State to meet their gambling needs.
Online Casinos in Mississippi
The only legal form of online gambling in Mississippi is through daily fantasy sports play.
Online casinos are not permitted and come with a $500 fine and jail time if you are caught playing on one.
While no one has ever been in trouble for online gambling in Mississippi, we still recommend being careful if choosing to wager.
It’s hard to say how soon online casinos will be accepted in the state.
Some think because of the recent legalization of the lottery that Mississippi is more open to gambling, while others say it’s nowhere close to even starting the process of regulating online casinos.
Either way, “soon” still means way down the road.
Land-Based Casinos in Mississippi
The casinos in Mississippi are all located on riverboats.
Mississippi was the third state to legalize riverboat gambling when it was approved by that state’s legislature in 1990.
The law restricts Mississippi casinos to coast waters (including the Bay of St. Louis and the Back Bay of Biloxi) along the Mississippi River and in navigable waters of counties that border the river.
Unless otherwise noted, all Mississippi casinos are open 24 hours and offer: slots, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, and three-card poker.
Other game listings include Spanish 21, baccarat, mini-baccarat, poker, pai gow poker, let it ride, Caribbean stud poker Mississippi stud, ultimate Texas hold’em, big-six wheel, four card poker, casino war, and keno.
NOTE: If you happen to win a jackpot of $1,200 or more in Mississippi, the casino will deduct 3% of your winnings and pay it to the Mississippi Tax Commission as a gambling tax. The tax is nonrefundable and the $1,200 threshold would also apply to any cash prizes won in casino drawings or tournaments.
To see a list of all casinos in Tunica, Mississippi be sure to visit our Tunica casinos page.
To see a list of all casinos in Biloxi, Mississippi be sure to visit our Biloxi casinos page.
Types of Casinos in Mississippi
Riverboats are the most popular form of gambling in Mississippi, and the only facility permitted to operate casino games.
According to the law, the casinos do not have to be able to take sail so many venues are located over water but resemble a land-based casino.
The payback percentages for slot machines at all casinos in Mississippi are released as a matter of public record. Just click here to see a list of slot machine payback statistics for all Mississippi casinos.
Interestingly, Mississippi is one of the few states that breaks down its progressive slot machine statistics separately and you can see that the return is almost always less on machines with progressive jackpots.
List Of Land-Based Casinos In Mississippi
Click on any of the casinos below to learn more about what the facility has to offer.
Bok Homa Casino
Bok Homa Casino has a total gaming area of 27000 square feet, with almost 800 slots and video poker machines, as well as classic favourites like blackjack and others.
- Address: 1 Choctaw Rd, Heidelberg, MS 39439
- Phone: (866) 447-3275
- Website: http://www.bokhomacasino.com/
Golden Moon Hotel & Casino at Pearl River Resort
This elevated 14-table poker room is available 24 hours a day and provides ACTION-PACKED games such as Limit and No-Limit Hold’em, Omaha, and competitive tournaments. Call us at 601-663-1040 and inquire about our Special Poker Player Hotel Rates!
- Address: 1010 Casino Center Dr, Robinsonville, MS 38664
- Phone: (662) 357-1111
- Website: http://www.bokhomacasino.com/
Harlow’s Casino Resort
Harlow’s Mississippi casino gaming in Greenville, MS is entertaining.
Harlow’s already exceeds your expectations for pleasure and enjoyment, with the Delta’s most thrilling gaming, outstanding cuisine, and a luxurious hotel.
- Address: 4280 Harlows Blvd, Greenville, MS 38701, United States
- Phone: +1 866-524-5825
- Website: http://www.harlowscasino.com/
Hollywood Casino Bay Saint Louis
With action-packed tables and the trendiest slots, you’ll feel like a celebrity at Hollywood Gulf Coast.
- Address: 711 Hollywood Blvd, Bay St Louis, MS 39520, United States
- Phone: +1 866-758-2591
- Website: https://www.hollywoodgulfcoast.com/
Island View Casino Resort
The Island View Casino Resort and our smoke-free Beach View Casino are brimming with the comforts you deserve, with exhilarating gaming and delectable cuisine only steps away!
- Address: 3300 W Beach Blvd, Gulfport, MS 39501, United States
- Phone: +1 228-314-2100
- Website:http://www.islandviewcasino.com/
Isle of Capri Casino & Hotel – Lula
Exciting casino activity, delectable food, intriguing giveaways, excellent entertainment, and comfy accommodations.
- Address: 77 Isle of Capri Pkwy, Lula, MS 38644, United States
- Phone: 1 610-241-1627
- Website: https://www.isleofcaprilula.com
Magnolia Bluffs Casino
Magnolia Bluffs Casino is a gambling establishment located near Natchez, Mississippi. It features a total gaming area of 45,000 square feet, including 580 slot machines and 10 table games.
- Address: 7 Roth Hill Rd, Natchez, MS 39120, United States
- Phone: 1 601-235-0045
- Website: http://www.magnoliabluffscasinos.com/
Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort
A top resort with breathtaking vistas, award-winning food, and, most importantly, the most exciting gambling on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
- Address: 9380 Central Ave, D’Iberville, MS 39540, United States
- Phone:1 888-752-9772
- Website: https://www.scarletpearlcasino.com/
Silver Slipper Casino
Featuring 750+/- state-of-the-art modern slot machines all with ticket-in, ticket-out technology in numerous denominations ranging from a penny to a hundred dollars in Reels or Video Games!
- Address: 5000 S Beach Blvd, Bay St Louis, MS 39520, United States
- Phone:1 228-469-2777
- Website: https://silverslipper-ms.com/
Silver Star Hotel & Casino at Pearl River Resort
With world-class gaming, entertainment, and more, Silver Star Hotel & Casino at Pearl River Resort offers the Las Vegas experience to Choctaw, Mississippi.
- Address: 13550 MS-16, Philadelphia, MS 39350, United States
- Phone: 1 866-447-3275
- Website: http://www.pearlriverresort.com/
Mississippi Land-Based Casinos Map
You can easily see all casino locations by using our Mississippi casinos map. To zoom in, just click the + (plus) sign in the lower right corner of the map, or to zoom out, just click the – (minus) sign in the same area.
To move the map of casinos in Mississippi, click and hold down either of your mouse buttons. Then use the hand icon to drag the map in whichever direction you desire.
Each of the red icons on the map is a casino location. Just click on any red icon to see the name of the casino at that location. If you want more information on that casino, simply click again on the casino’s name and it will direct you to another page with detailed information on that particular casino, including address, phone number, toll-free phone number, room rates, casino size, dining information, games offered, availability of discounts for seniors, any special features, and a direct link to that casino’s website.
History of Gambling in Mississippi
Mississippi has a rich history of gambling that goes way back to the 1700s before the Europeans had even come to the state.
The Native Americans were the first to start gambling in MS, often placing bets on sports and card games.
By the 1790s, the Fleetfield Race Track was built and began accepting bets on horse races. This was the first horse racetrack in the state and run by the Spanish.
In the 1800s, riverboats began to operate in the state and offer casino gambling and many hotels began to offer slot machines for customers.
In the 1940s and 50s, the gambling industry was still growing in MS and Highway 90 had earned a reputation as “The Strip.”
This was a highway made up of four lanes that hosted numerous nightclubs and gambling facilities. Often, big names like Elvis Presley and Hank Williams Sr., would perform here.
Unfortunately, it was also around this time when the Biloxi Protestant Ministerial Association formed.
This group’s mission was to show everyone in Mississippi why gambling was bad, and how it basically destroyed the lives at homes.
Casinos were also dealing with the US Senate’s Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce.
This was another group trying to shut down gambling in the state, referred to as the Kefauver Committee.
Eventually, gaming machines were removed and casinos slowly started to shut down.
From the 70s to the 90s, the gambling industry in MS suffered greatly. Finally, the Mississippi Gaming Control Act was passed which permitted casino operations over the Gulf Coast and Mississippi River.
Native Americans also had the right to build on their own land due to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which is still protected to this day.
Now, there are almost 30 gambling facilities operating in the state.
Mississippi Gambling Laws and Regulatory Organizations
The minimum gambling age in Mississippi is 21. There are a few legal gambling options available in MS, including:
- Casino gambling
- Sports betting
- Bingo
- Charitable gaming
The lottery has been legalized as of 2020, so Mississippi will also have a state lottery available.
The casinos are spread across six different counties in MS:
- Tunica
- Lula
- Greenville
- Vicksburg
- Natchez
- Gulf Coast
State law requires that Mississippi riverboat casinos are permanently moored at the dock and they are not permitted to cruise.
This allows the riverboats to offer 24-hour dockside gambling. The Isle of Capri in Biloxi was the first casino to open on August 1, 1992, followed one month later by The President.
Since the law does not require that the floating vessel resembles a boat, almost all of the casinos in Mississippi are built on barges. This gives them the appearance of a land-based building, rather than a riverboat.
Due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the state legislature allowed Mississippi casinos in the gulf coast to be rebuilt on land within 800-feet of the shoreline and some casinos in Mississippi have been rebuilt in that manner.
The Mississippi Gaming Commission
The Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) is in charge of regulating gaming in the state.
The Commission’s starts its mission statement by saying:
“The mission of the Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) is to enforce the Gaming Control Act and Charitable Gaming Laws of the State of Mississippi.”
You can read more about the MGC here.
Gambling in Mississippi Today
While Mississippi is a very conservative state, it remains one of the gaming destinations in the country.
The state is home to some of the best casinos in the United States, with Biloxi even making the list of Top 15 Cities: Best Places to Gamble in the US.
There are over 25 gambling facilities in the state, some operating as both a casino and sportsbook.
Online casinos remain illegal and will stay that way for a while, as there has been no effort to change this law.
Residents could potentially see mobile sportsbooks legalized in MS, but that is still in the process of being discussed.
Useful Resources
- Gambling in Mississippi: Its Early History
- Mississippi Still Only State in Southeast with Sports Betting
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For more information on visiting casinos in Mississippi or other tourist attractions, call the state’s tourism department at (866) SEE-MISS or go to www.visitmississippi.org.