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Mississippi Horse Racing Betting

Author: AmericanGambler1234 | Last Updated: June 30, 2019 | Fact Checked By: Alejandro del Rio

There are no licensed horse or dog tracks in the Magnolia State, but pari-mutuel wagering is allowed at all licensed casino sportsbooks.

However, because Mississippi laws explicitly prohibit online betting sites, no online provider of advance deposit wagering on horse racing in the U.S. currently serves Mississippi residents in 2021.

That means the only option for residents is offshore sites operating in defiance of Mississippi laws.

Check some other betting apps in MS.

Interested in other horse racing events? Take a look at this years Kentucky Derby Bet Guide, for a full preview of the Run for the Roses and exclusive bonus/promo codes.

Horse Racing Gambling Laws in Mississippi

Mississippi has one of the oddest assemblages of gambling laws of any U.S. state.  With the exception of licensed casinos, including those on tribal lands, recently enacted sports betting and some charitable gaming, Mississippi law prohibits all forms of gambling and lotteries. 

The state has a long history with gambling dating to the riverboat casinos of Mark Twain’s era, and despite its overall conservative approach to betting offers plenty of opportunities to residents willing to drive. 

The weirdly wonderful aspect of Mississippi’s modern gambling law is that it requires that all casino gambling be conducted on “riverboats,” even though it also states that they must be permanently moored and cannot conduct gambling cruises.

That led to the creation of what are often called barge casinos, facilities that look like land-based casinos but are at least surrounded by water.

There are currently more than 30 such “boats on moats” operating in the state, most of them clustered around Biloxi and Tunica.

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