According to Allen Godfrey (executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission), the key is that sports betting has increased “foot traffic” to the casinos since it began in August 2018. People who come to the casinos to wager on sporting events also play other games. Despite the industry’s stabilization, there are still concerns about the Mississippi River casinos in the north Delta. The state’s largest market was once the Tunica region, which was located in the North Delta. However, it has been struggling in recent years due to the opening of gaming markets in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and other places. Godfrey told lawmakers recently that other states’ actions could have a further impact on the Mississippi casino market, especially the Tunica market. Tennessee has, however, not yet implemented mobile device sports betting. Tennessee residents will be able to wager on sporting events from their phones once the law is passed. To place a bet on a sporting event in Mississippi, you must travel to a casino. There is talk of legislation being considered to allow Mississippians to legally place wagers using their cell phones. Casey Eure (R-Saucier), Chair of the House Gaming Committee, said that he was looking into it. “… We will do something this year, or next year. Next year is more probable. Eure stated that Mississippi’s gambling laws have been successful and are considered to be model legislation. They date back to 1990, when the Legislature approved a proposal to allow counties along the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast to have casinos. He stated that he doesn’t want to pass legislation which would hurt the industry. The state bridge and road repairs are funded by tax revenue from sports betting. Larry Gregory, executive director at the Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association said that the state’s casinos are currently working on a proposal to submit to the Legislature for legalizing mobile sports betting. Like all gambling proposals, the bill is likely to be met with resistance by the Legislature. Despite the resistance, almost all of the proposed casino gambling legislation presented by the industry and its supporters to the Legislature have been approved. The state became the third most popular gaming destination in the country soon after the legalization of casinos in the early 1990s. According to the American Gaming Association’s 2019 report, it is now seventh in number of casinos being opened by Native American tribes and states. Gaming tax revenue to Mississippi increased by 5.2 percent, or $6.8million, in the 2019 fiscal year. This was an increase of 5.2 percent over the previous fiscal year. Revenue for the fiscal year ending January is up 1.15 per cent to $79.4million. It is not clear that the state lottery, which was established in Mississippi in November of last year, has had an impact on the casino industry. The industry’s overall performance has been declining over the past decade. There were 30 licensed casinos in 2010, employing 24,000 people and generating $2.4 Billion gross revenue. According to the Mississippi Gaming Commission (the state regulatory agency), 26 casinos were licensed in Mississippi in 2019, employing 19,000 people, and generating $2.2 Billion in revenue.