Jackson Jambalaya

So allow sports betting in downtown Jackson and watch Farish Street explode into a destination.

Thank a couple of sneaky lobbyists. The Legislature didn't know what they were voting on.

Jackson can't do it. The sports betting is allowed in Casino's only.

Yeah --- and the gaming commission's director made a comment about betting on the State/Ole Miss game. I'm sure the amount of money bet won't have any effect on players, referees or boosters...

From what I understand, the betting licenses will only be issued to gambling casinos. You will have to be physically present at one of these places to submit a bet, watch the game, then collect. Sorry, I can't stand the casino crowd. I am sticking with my bookie.

Yo La, ya snooze, ya lose.

@1:02-- Sports Betting lobbyist worked on this bill as did motivated staffers--they allowed for this to happen, as well. Were they not doing their job or just didn't care?

When are we going to get a lottery? I'm not a lottery player however, the state could sure use the money!!!

MS hasn't written the rules yet. I'm sure they stipulate that you can collect your winnings by mail like in Vegas. Only makes sense. For example, leaving Sunday night but want to place a bet on Monday Night Football.

The same thing is going to happen with marijuana. We would be smart to leapfrog other states and create another boost in tourism.

"Yeah --- and the gaming commission's director made a comment about betting on the State/Ole Miss game. I'm sure the amount of money bet won't have any effect on players, referees or boosters..."

Get over it. Every other team has dealt with it (if they are any good and attract gamblers' interest).

Since it's limited to a physical location, I imagine most sports gambling will still be done online. Maybe for Super Bowl, March Madness, Kentucky Derby and some other big events we will see large crowds, but pretty tough to drive from Jackson to Vicksburg for a college football game or two. And impossible for anyone that bets during the game.

If we're going to allow sports gambling, as we should, need to make it online instead of play this sort of in, sort of out game.

Louisiana's legislature is so corrupt that they can't move until certain "powers that be" are certain of their payoff. The gangsters that run everything from cockfights to garbage collection were caught with their pants down and haven't given their cronies their marching orders yet. Last thing in the world they figured on was Mississippi moving quickly. It's accidental but we'll take it.

Does anybody at the Gaming Commission actually know how to regulate this, or is it just going to be another case of the industry (slimeball former director Gregory) writing the rules and the Commission (current corrupt director Godfrey) bending over and, well, you know...

I doubt that @2:35 has a clue about how the regulation should proceed.

235, with your very observant ability to evaluate individuals, tell us, please: is there any state government agency director, current or former, that you don't believe is corrupt?

We'll await your answer, so we can all know who is prudently managing their agency.

2:03PM, talk about gangsters and garbage collections, garbage collections make more money for the gangsters and it is completely legal. They do not have to gamble on a damn thing. The state of Mississippi will collect for them. If you do not pay whatever the garbage collectors decide to charge or how many times they decide to charge you there will not be a tag on your car.

3:13, I am not 235 but will answer your question.
If any state government agency director, current or former, was not corrupt they would have never got the job.

MS will be ready in "45 days, 60 at the most." Believe it when I see it.

NOLA residents will be driving to Mississippi to place bets? Not if they have to cross a bridge to get there. Maybe we can change the welcome sing on I-10 to read: "Welcome to our third world country, accepting bets on sports games and bridge collapses"

Time to climb aboard the prosperity train, y'all! WOOT WOOT!!! This train is leaving the station!

This is the first step in solving all of Mississippi's problems. Next up: a lottery! Then should we legalize and tax mari-ju-wannah or prostitution? And should we do them sequentially or simultaneously?

I can almost see the gold-paved three digit highways now...

But what do we legalize and tax after that? We need more ideas -- who's got 'em???

The original bill as introduced had the striking language and additional "sports betting" language. Go back and look at the two versions - for any member to not know about this language is a lie. the bill was introduced By Rep. Richard Bennett - a key member of the Speaker's leadership team. If anybody that knows haw things work around the legislature, a member always runs this pass the leadership. Someone's lying if they claim they didn't know it. Go back and pull u[ the original version and click on the last symbol nest to the bill number - that will show you what they took about and what they added! It was passed in 2017 and is HB967. Look at it!

Do I have to bet money, or can I wager other things? I have a f*ck ton of timber contracts that I'll lay on the Dodgers this weekend.

Also, can I do it online or by phone? It's touch for me to get out of the house.

From the looks of some of these comments, most have never been in a sports book in Vegas. It's just like horse racing, buy your ticket and cash if you win. If it's like Vegas, you don't have to hang around all day to collect, just go to the book and pick up your winnings.The ticket doesn't expire so I always just held it until my next trip. The big casino groups all have in house odds makers and the house still collects the vig. And the legal betting is more tightly controlled than the mob boys. If the fix is in, it damn sure isn't from the legal side.

Now, for the fun of it. Nevada does 8 Billion in sports betting a year. The total bet legal and illegal is over 100 billion, and say MS casinos win 1 Billion and early on and that's not far fetched. The state get 8% and the locals get 4%. That's 80 million to the state. Makes the lottery look like chump change. And you're drawing from 5 other states around us.

May 15, 2018 at 3:55 PM

Yes, legalize prostitution and tax that poontang.

I think the casinos should be allowed to open betting parlors all over the state. A lot of people cannot get to the Gulf Coast or Delta to make bets but could easily do so if they had a local legal betting parlor.

Unnamed CCJ Resident wins the internet (MS edition) for the day!!

Will the state clear 500k annually on this?

I have never placed a bet with a bookie. I haven't set foot in a casino in about 10 years. I will not be beating a path to a casino (or any other location) to play a bet on any game. Do I care if others do? Hell no! Why are people so upset? Nobody will make me gamble, but if and when I do decide to place a bet on the State-Ole Miss game it is my business, not some stuck up, liquor store sneaking around, fooling around with one of his flock Baptist preacher. I choose not to gamble but I will not attempt to deny those who choose to have some fun. The notion that legalized sports betting is going to make otherwise rational people suddenly spend all their income on gaming is about as crazy as the thinking in the past that Blue Laws would force people to go to church on Sunday and not go shopping. It didn't work. I have news for those with blinders on: gambling and sports betting are daily occurrences now. All this will do is give the State of Mississippi a small cut of the action. Every penny counts. By the way, I attend church at least 50 out of 52 Sundays a year.

Remember a year and a half ago when, on radio, we heard those damned sports-betting commercials out of New York on every talk show, at most six minutes apart? For some reason it got stopped. This will bring it back. No radio program (especially SuperStalk) can resist the commercial onslaught. This will also give Dogbert an opportunity to up his commercials and tell us more about voter ID and recovery help for gambling addiction.

God help us all if Chaney figures out how to regulate gambling insurance.

May 16, 2018 at 4:18 AM = YYaaaawwwwnnnn, Ssssnnooorrreee, ZZZZZZzzzzzzz

If any of you knew anything about the gaming commission, you'd be shocked to learn of the ineptitude at all levels, how poorly licensees are vetted, and how leadership bends to both political pressure and industry influence. The casinos and investors make the rules, and if the commission steps out of line the governor gets a call. If they crack down on illegal gambling, the commissioners get a call from a member of the legislature. If a charitable bingo operator doesn't comply with state law, the commission seeks out extra-regulatory and extra-legal means to protect the rich and politically connected.

My wife worked as an agent at the commission for a while and they could not care less about the safety of their agents (reference John Gorman - how long have they been stonewalling his widow's request for information surrounding the circumstances of his death?). They respond to unpredictable situations and are not properly trained or equipped to be law enforcement officers; and when things get tough or look legally tricky (even when the agent is in the right), they bail on their people.

Mississippi does a fine job acting like it is enforcing the law and regulating gambling in the state, but a look beneath the surface would expose a history of cover-ups and self-dealing by state politicians and commission leadership.

If any of you knew anything about the gaming commission ...

My wife worked as an agent at the commission ...

Looks like you have no direct knowledge regarding the workings of the gaming commission.

Louisiana's legislature is so corrupt that they can't move until certain "powers that be" are certain of their payoff.

The Mississippi legislature just said, Someone hold our beers?

8:21, 7:13 here. I have direct knowledge about all kinds of bullshit that went/goes on there, I spent a lot of time with those people, listened to them vent and got an interesting look behind the scenes. It really is amazing what people will say in front of their co-workers spouses.

When the Louisiana Legislature decides to sell out, it leaves Mississippi in the dust when it comes to corruption.

I have a very close friend in the senate and that person said they knew exactly what they were voting on. Don't let people fool you.

I agree with 7:13, the way the commission has treated John Gorman's widow in her search for answers is deplorable. I know they're afraid of lawsuits, but to deny her the information she deserves just adds to the insult of her losing her husband - those folks have no class or morals.

Now watch as the hilarity ensues when legislators try to get their bookie friends licensed!