Legislative Round-Up: Multi-State Sweeps Action, Mississippi House Won’t Let OSB Die

Another week of legislative sessions across the United States brings another week of intrigue and action for the gaming industry. Here’s a look at some of the top stories as we approach the middle of March.

Sweeps in the spotlight again

State legislatures continue to target sweepstakes casinos, with efforts in New Jersey and Maryland taking center stage this week.

New Jersey Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese, who earlier this year introduced legislation to bring sweeps under state regulation similar to online casino and sports betting, changed course with his filing of A5447 seeking to ban them.

The Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA), which voiced support for Calabrese’s call for regulation, expectedly was disappointed in the turn of events.

The SPGA called the new bill “a reckless attempt to ban sweepstakes in New Jersey” in a statement Tuesday, and added, “This shortsighted legislation abandons the state’s progressive stance on gaming, directly contradicting the regulatory framework championed by Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese earlier this year — one that would ensure oversight, licensing, and taxation, bringing sweepstakes in line with other regulated gaming entities.

“New Jersey has led the way in gaming regulation — not followed. With innovative licensing frameworks for digital entertainment, the state sets the standard. This smart, forward-thinking approach should continue, not be replaced by outdated prohibition.”

Attorney Jeff Ifrah struck a different tone as he spoke on behalf of the SPGA at Tuesday’s House Ways and Means Committee hearing in Maryland. There is also legislation there to ban sweeps, but Ifrah and Josh White — speaking on behalf of top sweeps operator VGW — had a more nuanced line of attack in pointing out what they felt was the broad overreach of Del. Brad Ebersole’s HB1140.

A companion bill to Ebersole’s in the Maryland Senate passed unanimously through the Budget and Taxation Committee last week.

As Mississippi mobile turns

Mississippi lawmakers in the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed SB2381 and SB2510 as Rep. Casey Eure continued his push from the lower chamber to legalize mobile sports betting.

Eure added amendments for mobile sports betting into bills related to coastal tidelands boundaries and the banning of sweepstakes casinos last week. It was a procedural maneuver in response to the Senate Gaming Committee not taking up HB 1302.

Eure was upfront about the move as a negotiating tactic, telling the Clarion Ledger, “It’s a possibility (that tidelands will not get addressed this year if the Senate does not take up mobile sports betting), but the House’s position is on mobile sports betting. We’re concerned about tidelands, but at this point, it’s all about negotiating.”

Senate Gaming Chair David Blount continues to be the primary source of opposition to mobile sports betting in Mississippi, and the casino industry is split on the prospects of expansion.

The Magnolia State is bordered by three states that offer mobile sports betting: Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Mississippi’s retail sportsbooks got off to a slow start to the year as handle dipped 4.7% and revenue dropped 23.8% in January compared to January 2024, despite a near-12% hold on $42.5 million handle. Handle declined 4.6% and revenue was 18.8% lower in 2024 compared to 2023.

SAFE Bet, Take 2

U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko of New York and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut re-introduced their Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet (SAFE Bet) Act on Tuesday, advancing their argument for federal oversight of sports betting based on what they feel is the addictive nature of the activity, especially online.

The bill has three main components, the first of which calls for a prohibition on wagering in all states until each one has an application approved by the Department of Justice. The second covers public health concerns. And the third would not exempt states with tribal gaming from any federal provisions.

The SAFE Bet Act was also a part of the conversation at a U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing on Dec. 17, a hearing that devolved at times into partisan bickering over non-gambling topics including transgender athletes.

Nebraska also ponders the mobile market

Nebraska, another state currently with only retail sports wagering available, heard from mobile sports betting proponents and opponents Monday as lawmakers weigh State Sen. Eliot Bostar’s proposed constitutional amendment (LR20CA) to expand wagering in the Cornhusker State.

“I don’t fault anyone for being opposed to gambling, to expanded gambling, to the participation in gambling. I don’t. It can come with real harms,” Bostar said, according to the York News-Times. “The question we have to ask ourselves is, do we want that potential revenue to go elsewhere, or do want it to go here?”

Bostar claims that expanding sports betting into the digital marketplace could provide Nebraska with up to $32 million in annual tax revenue. In support of his resolution were lobbyists from FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, and BetMGM, while non-profits Stop Predatory Gambling and Nebraska Family Alliance spoke in opposition.

Nebraska’s four retail sportsbooks generated $4.7 million in tax revenue in 2024 according to the state’s Racing and Gaming Commission, with WarHorse Casino in Lincoln accounting for more than half that amount with nearly $2.9 million.

Arkansas set to wade into iGaming pool

Arkansas, which did not expand into mobile sports wagering until March 2022, took its first steps to branch into online casino gaming Thursday as Sen. Bryan King’s joint resolution (SJR8) is on the agenda to be heard by the Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs.

King’s resolution is vague, offering no license fees, number of operators, or tax percentage on operator revenue that would go to the state. Arkansas does not have a high-profile sportsbook among its three operators, with BetSaracen accounting for more than half the $519.3 million online handle generated in 2024. Saracen, which operates one of three brick-and-mortar casinos in the state, has been in support of adding iGaming to its suite.

The Razorback State surpassed $1 billion in total mobile handle in January and topped $60 million in total wagers four consecutive months from September through January.