Did legislative leadership really fall for sports-betting rope-a-dope? Geoff Pender
“If the U.S. Supreme Court ruling creates the need to address sports gambling in Mississippi, the Gaming Commission will do so,” Bryant, a Republican, said in a statement. “I have serious concerns about the negative consequences of betting on sports.”
The bill didn’t mention sports betting, but it deleted a passage in the Gaming Control Act that prohibited casino wagering on athletic events or any events that don’t take place on a casino’s premises.
Bryant’s office further stated, “We’re not convinced HB 967 opens the door for sports betting in Mississippi. That was not part of the calculation the governor used to arrive at his decision to sign it, and it certainly was not a back-door way of clearing the legal pathway for wagering on sports.”
A spokeswoman for Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said he has similar concerns.
Clarion Ledger
7/15/17
Magnolia Tribune
