Gaming Commission warns illegal gambling sites and Mississippi residents using them
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- Gaming Commission issued cease and desist letters to 10 illegal operators.
- Offshore sites misused casino images and falsely claimed legal status in Mississippi.
- Residents risk prosecution and forfeiture for gambling on unlicensed internet sites.
Mississippi Gaming Commission on Tuesday sent letters to companies illegally operating online casinos and targeting customers who live in Mississippi.
The Gaming Commission sent cease and desist letters to 10 operators of online sports books or online casinos found to be operating illegally in Mississippi, said Jay McDaniel, executive director of the Gaming Commission.
“This includes the operator that has been using pictures of our licensed casinos to fraudulently lure customers to their illegal site,” he said.
Several Coast casinos have had their photos and logos lifted illegally by these companies, who then posted on Facebook with false headlines that said online casinos now are legal in Mississippi.
The letters were issued electronically and by mail to companies operating sports wagering or online casinos against state and federal laws, according to a notice posted Tuesday on the Gaming Commission’s website.
Among the laws these illegal operators could be breaking are the Mississippi Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, the Mississippi Gaming Control Act, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, the Federal Wire Act of 1961 and the Illegal Gambling Business Act.
The only place to legally place a sports bet or play slot games in Mississippi is at the brick and mortar casinos.
“Our laws are clear that casino style gaming and sports wagering are not allowed online in Mississippi, outside of a licensed casino,” McDaniel said.
“The MGC will aggressively pursue both domestic and offshore illegal operators, and the MGC is currently providing criminal case files to our state and federal law enforcement partners and requesting prosecution,” he said. “Companies like those put on notice today mislead our residents by claiming to be legal outlets, when in fact they operate illegally and without providing any tax revenue or other tangible benefit to Mississippi.”
It’s not just the companies that should pay attention to Tuesday’s notice.
The Gaming Commission says citizens who play at any online site that offers gambling could be subject to criminal prosecution and forfeiture of their money deposited with the site.
To report illegal gambling in the state, contact the Gaming Commission at 601-576-3800.
Any person who has lost money or property to a company offering unlicensed wagering online or otherwise operating illegally in Mississippi, may be entitled to recovery, with costs, under Mississippi law. They should consider consulting an attorney to determine if they have a case, the notice said.
While these offshore and illegal companies promote themselves as legal, there are no legal exceptions for online sports books or so called “sweepstakes” casinos, the notice said. They may advertise as free to play, but if there is an opportunity for the player to to provide funds and win something of value — and an element of chance exists on the games outcome — it is gambling under Mississippi law.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 5:12 PM.
