The fifth month of the calendar year was another slow one for the state of Mississippi's sportsbooks, with double-digit declines in handle and revenue.
Overall, Mississippi sportsbooks took in $26,761,691 in handle during May, down 15.9% from April’s sum of $31,805,004.
As far as the Magnolia State’s sports betting revenue was concerned, Mississippi sportsbooks saw a 26.8% drop, month over month, from $4,347,138 in April to $3,180,953 in May.
The state’s casino revenue numbers weren’t much rosier, with a 0.5% decline in slots handle ($2.203 billion, from $2.213 billion in April) and a 1.4% increase in table games handle (from $159.347 million in April to $161.529 million in May.
The slots and table games hold was a mixed bag for casinos in Mississippi, with a 1.1% month-over-month decline for the former ($171.981 million, from $173.974 million) and a 6.5% jump for the latter ($31.537 million, from $29.624 million in April).
Mississippi Sports Betting, May vs. April
Here’s what else you need to know about Mississippi’s sports betting and casino report from May:
Where Mississippi’s May Wagering Report Ranks Nationally
Overall, Mississippi sportsbooks found themselves ranked outside the top 10 nationally in May, in terms of overall handle.
The national leaders for wagering handle during the fifth month of the year were New York ($1.3 billion), New Jersey ($778.8 million), Massachusetts ($455 million), Maryland ($320.2 million) and Indiana ($283.4 million) — though many states have yet to report their totals as of Tuesday morning.
On a state basis, Mississippi sportsbooks have taken in just under $202.3 million in wagering handle through the first five months of the year — averaging out to around $40.4 million per month overall.
That figure represents a 7.9% year-over-year decrease from the same period in 2022, when the state’s sportsbooks raked in $219,655,357 in wagering handle between January and May — showing the gradual decline in wagering totals in Mississippi in 2023 versus the same period in 2022.
As the Magnolia State enters the slower summer months, things might get worse before they get better for sports betting operators and the state of Mississippi’s bottom line.
Rest assured, thing will likely turn around when the pigskins starts flying in Oxford and Starkville, as well as at NFL stadiums from coast to coast this fall — rectifying the slumps seen in Mississippi between January and May.
