Mississippi Horse Racing Task Force; create.

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To: Gaming
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Ladner

SENATE BILL NO. 2626

AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI HORSE RACING TASK FORCE; TO 1
PROVIDE THE PURPOSES OF THE TASK FORCE AND PRESCRIBE ITS 2
MEMBERSHIP; TO PROVIDE FOR A REPORT; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 3
75-76-55, 87-1-1, 87-1-5, 97-33-1 AND 97-33-27, MISSISSIPPI CODE 4
OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED 5
PURPOSES. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 7
SECTION 1. (1) There is hereby created the Mississippi 8
Horse Racing Task Force to undertake a comprehensive analysis of 9
all matters related to gaming, pari-mutuel wagering on horse 10
racing, economic development and growing the equine industry 11
within this state. The task force shall be co-chaired by the 12
House Gaming Committee Chair and the Senate Gaming Committee Chair 13
and shall be composed of a total of twelve (12) members, with ten 14
(10) members to be appointed as follows: 15
(a) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Gaming 16
Commission or a designee; 17
(b) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 18
Development Authority or a designee; 19
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(c) The Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture 20
and Commerce; 21
(d) The Chairman of the Mississippi Gaming and 22
Hospitality Association or his/her designee; 23
(e) One (1) member appointed by the Chair of the Senate 24
Gaming Committee, who must be a licensed casino operator in the 25
state; 26
(f) One (1) member appointed by the Chair of the House 27
Gaming Committee, who must be a licensed casino operator in the 28
state; 29
(g) The Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee; 30
(h) The Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee; 31
(i) One (1) member appointed by the Chair of the Senate 32
Agriculture Committee, who is involved in the equine industry in 33
the state and a member of the Horsemen and Owner and Breeders 34
Association; and 35
(j) One (1) member appointed by the Chair of the House 36
Agriculture Committee, who is involved in the equine industry in 37
the state. 38
(2) The members of the task force shall be appointed within 39
thirty (30) days of the effective date of this act. Any vacancy 40
in the task force shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled 41
as prescribed in subsection (1) of this section. The task force 42
shall hold its first meeting within sixty (60) days of the 43
effective date of this act, on a joint call of the chairmen of the 44
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task force. A majority of the membership of the task force shall 45
constitute a quorum, and shall meet at the call of the chairmen. 46
All members must be notified in writing of all meetings at least 47
five (5) days before the date on which a meeting of the task force 48
is scheduled. 49
(3) The members of the task force shall serve without 50
compensation. 51
(4) The PEER Committee shall prepare and submit a final 52
report that contains a detailed statement of findings, conclusions 53
and recommendations of the task force as jointly approved by the 54
co-chairmen to the Legislature by December 15, 2026. The report 55
shall be made available to the public. 56
SECTION 2. Section 75-76-55, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 57
brought forward as follows: 58
75-76-55. (1) Except as otherwise provided in Section 59
75-76-34, it is unlawful for any person, either as owner, lessee 60
or employee, whether for hire or not, either solely or in 61
conjunction with others, without having first procured and 62
thereafter maintaining in effect a state gaming license: 63
(a) To deal, operate, carry on, conduct, maintain or 64
expose for play in the State of Mississippi any gambling game, 65
including, without limitation, any gaming device, slot machine, 66
race book or sports pool; 67
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(b) To provide or maintain any information service the 68
primary purpose of which is to aid the placing or making of wagers 69
on events of any kind; or 70
(c) To receive, directly or indirectly, any 71
compensation or reward or any percentage or share of the money or 72
property played, for keeping, running or carrying on any gambling 73
game, including, without limitation, any slot machine, gaming 74
device, race book or sports pool. 75
(2) Except as otherwise provided in Section 75-76-34, it is 76
unlawful for any person knowingly to permit any gambling game, 77
including, without limitation, any slot machine, gaming device, 78
race book or sports pool to be conducted, operated, dealt or 79
carried on in any house or building or other premises owned by 80
him, in whole or in part, by a person who is not licensed pursuant 81
to this chapter or by his employee. 82
SECTION 3. Section 87-1-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 83
brought forward as follows: 84
87-1-1. Contracts, judgments, securities, conveyances made, 85
given, granted, or executed, where the whole or any part of the 86
consideration or foundation thereof shall be for money, or any 87
valuable thing won, lost, or bet at any game or games, or on any 88
horse-race, cock-fight, or at any other sport, amusement, or 89
pastime, or on any wager whatever, or for the reimbursing or 90
repaying any money knowingly lent or advanced for the purpose of 91
such gaming or gambling, or to be wagered on any game, play, 92
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horse-race, cock-fight, or on any sport, amusement, pastime, or 93
wager, shall be utterly void. 94
SECTION 4. Section 87-1-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 95
brought forward as follows: 96
87-1-5. If any person, by playing at any game whatever, or 97
by betting on the sides or hands of such as do play at any game, 98
or by betting on any horse race or cockfight, or at any other 99
sport or pastime, or by any wager whatever, shall lose any money, 100
property, or other valuable thing, real or personal, and shall pay 101
or deliver the same or any part thereof, the person so losing and 102
paying or delivering the same, or his wife or children, may sue 103
for and recover such money, property, or other valuable thing so 104
lost and paid or delivered, or any part thereof, from the person 105
knowingly receiving the same, with costs. However, this section 106
shall not apply to betting, gaming or wagering: 107
(a) On a cruise vessel as defined in Section 27-109-1 108
whenever such vessel is in the waters within the State of 109
Mississippi, which lie adjacent to the State of Mississippi south 110
of the three (3) most southern counties in the State of 111
Mississippi, including the Mississippi Sound, St. Louis Bay, 112
Biloxi Bay and Pascagoula Bay; 113
(b) In a structure located in whole or in part on shore 114
in any of the three (3) most southern counties in the State of 115
Mississippi in which the registered voters of the county have 116
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voted to allow such betting, gaming or wagering on cruise vessels 117
as provided in Section 19-3-79, if: 118
(i) The structure is owned, leased or controlled 119
by a person possessing a gaming license, as defined in Section 120
75-76-5, to conduct legal gaming on a cruise vessel under 121
paragraph (a) of this section; 122
(ii) The part of the structure in which licensed 123
gaming activities are conducted is located entirely in an area 124
which is located no more than eight hundred (800) feet from the 125
mean high-water line (as defined in Section 29-15-1) of the waters 126
within the State of Mississippi, which lie adjacent to the State 127
of Mississippi south of the three (3) most southern counties in 128
the State of Mississippi, including the Mississippi Sound, St. 129
Louis Bay, Biloxi Bay and Pascagoula Bay, or, with regard to 130
Harrison County only, no farther north than the southern boundary 131
of the right-of-way for U.S. Highway 90, whichever is greater; and 132
(iii) In the case of a structure that is located 133
in whole or part on shore, the part of the structure in which 134
licensed gaming activities are conducted shall lie adjacent to 135
state waters south of the three (3) most southern counties in the 136
State of Mississippi, including the Mississippi Sound, St. Louis 137
Bay, Biloxi Bay and Pascagoula Bay. When the site upon which the 138
structure is located consists of a parcel of real property, 139
easements and rights-of-way for public streets and highways shall 140
not be construed to interrupt the contiguous nature of the parcel, 141
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nor shall the footage contained within the easements and 142
rights-of-way be counted in the calculation of the distances 143
specified in subparagraph (ii) * * *; 144
(c) On a vessel as defined in Section 27-109-1 whenever 145
such vessel is on the Mississippi River or navigable waters within 146
any county bordering on the Mississippi River; or 147
(d) That is legal under the laws of the State of 148
Mississippi. 149
SECTION 5. Section 97-33-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 150
brought forward as follows: 151
97-33-1. Except as otherwise provided in Section 97-33-8, if 152
any person shall encourage, promote or play at any game, play or 153
amusement, other than a fight or fighting match between dogs, for 154
money or other valuable thing, or shall wager or bet, promote or 155
encourage the wagering or betting of any money or other valuable 156
things, upon any game, play, amusement, cockfight, Indian ball 157
play or duel, other than a fight or fighting match between dogs, 158
or upon the result of any election, event or contingency whatever, 159
upon conviction thereof, he shall be fined in a sum not more than 160
Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00); and, unless such fine and costs be 161
immediately paid, shall be imprisoned for any period not more than 162
ninety (90) days. However, this section shall not apply to 163
betting, gaming or wagering: 164
(a) On a cruise vessel as defined in Section 27-109-1 165
whenever such vessel is in the waters within the State of 166
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Mississippi, which lie adjacent to the State of Mississippi south 167
of the three (3) most southern counties in the State of 168
Mississippi, including the Mississippi Sound, St. Louis Bay, 169
Biloxi Bay and Pascagoula Bay, and in which the registered voters 170
of the county in which the port is located have not voted to 171
prohibit such betting, gaming or wagering on cruise vessels as 172
provided in Section 19-3-79; 173
(b) In a structure located, in whole or in part, on 174
shore in any of the three (3) most southern counties in the State 175
of Mississippi in which the registered voters of the county have 176
voted to allow such betting, gaming or wagering on cruise vessels 177
as provided in Section 19-3-79, if: 178
(i) The structure is owned, leased or controlled 179
by a person possessing a gaming license, as defined in Section 180
75-76-5, to conduct legal gaming on a cruise vessel under 181
paragraph (a) of this section; 182
(ii) The part of the structure in which licensed 183
gaming activities are conducted is located entirely in an area 184
which is located no more than eight hundred (800) feet from the 185
mean high-water line (as defined in Section 29-15-1) of the waters 186
within the State of Mississippi, which lie adjacent to the State 187
of Mississippi south of the three (3) most southern counties in 188
the State of Mississippi, including the Mississippi Sound, St. 189
Louis Bay, Biloxi Bay and Pascagoula Bay, or, with regard to 190
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Harrison County only, no farther north than the southern boundary 191
of the right-of-way for U.S. Highway 90, whichever is greater; and 192
(iii) In the case of a structure that is located 193
in whole or part on shore, the part of the structure in which 194
licensed gaming activities are conducted shall lie adjacent to 195
state waters south of the three (3) most southern counties in the 196
State of Mississippi, including the Mississippi Sound, St. Louis 197
Bay, Biloxi Bay and Pascagoula Bay. When the site upon which the 198
structure is located consists of a parcel of real property, 199
easements and rights-of-way for public streets and highways shall 200
not be construed to interrupt the contiguous nature of the parcel, 201
nor shall the footage contained within the easements and 202
rights-of-way be counted in the calculation of the distances 203
specified in subparagraph (ii); 204
(c) On a vessel as defined in Section 27-109-1 whenever 205
such vessel is on the Mississippi River or navigable waters within 206
any county bordering on the Mississippi River, and in which the 207
registered voters of the county in which the port is located have 208
not voted to prohibit such betting, gaming or wagering on vessels 209
as provided in Section 19-3-79; or 210
(d) That is legal under the laws of the State of 211
Mississippi. 212
SECTION 6. Section 97-33-27, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 213
brought forward as follows: 214
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97-33-27. If any person shall bet on a horse race or a yacht 215
race or on a shooting match, he shall be fined not more than Five 216
Hundred Dollars ($500.00), and, unless the fine and costs be 217
immediately paid, he shall be imprisoned in the county jail not 218
more than ninety (90) days; provided, however, this section shall 219
not apply to betting, gaming or wagering: 220
(a) On a cruise vessel as defined in Section 27-109-1 221
whenever such vessel is in the waters within the State of 222
Mississippi, which lie adjacent to the State of Mississippi south 223
of the three (3) most southern counties in the State of 224
Mississippi, including the Mississippi Sound, St. Louis Bay, 225
Biloxi Bay and Pascagoula Bay, and in which the registered voters 226
of the county in which the port is located have not voted to 227
prohibit such betting, gaming or wagering on cruise vessels as 228
provided in Section 19-3-79; 229
(b) In a structure located in whole or in part on shore 230
in any of the three (3) most southern counties in the State of 231
Mississippi in which the registered voters of the county have 232
voted to allow such betting, gaming or wagering on cruise vessels 233
as provided in Section 19-3-79, if: 234
(i) The structure is owned, leased or controlled 235
by a person possessing a gaming license, as defined in Section 236
75-76-5, to conduct legal gaming on a cruise vessel under 237
paragraph (a) of this section; 238
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(ii) The part of the structure in which licensed 239
gaming activities are conducted is located entirely in an area 240
which is located no more than eight hundred (800) feet from the 241
mean high-water line (as defined in Section 29-15-1) of the waters 242
within the State of Mississippi, which lie adjacent to the State 243
of Mississippi south of the three (3) most southern counties in 244
the State of Mississippi, including the Mississippi Sound, St. 245
Louis Bay, Biloxi Bay and Pascagoula Bay, or, with regard to 246
Harrison County only, no farther north than the southern boundary 247
of the right-of-way for U.S. Highway 90, whichever is greater; and 248
(iii) In the case of a structure that is located 249
in whole or part on shore, the part of the structure in which 250
licensed gaming activities are conducted shall lie adjacent to 251
state waters south of the three (3) most southern counties in the 252
State of Mississippi, including the Mississippi Sound, St. Louis 253
Bay, Biloxi Bay and Pascagoula Bay. When the site upon which the 254
structure is located consists of a parcel of real property, 255
easements and rights-of-way for public streets and highways shall 256
not be construed to interrupt the contiguous nature of the parcel, 257
nor shall the footage contained within the easements and 258
rights-of-way be counted in the calculation of the distances 259
specified in subparagraph (ii) * * *; 260
(c) On a vessel as defined in Section 27-109-1 whenever 261
such vessel is on the Mississippi River or navigable waters within 262
any county bordering on the Mississippi River, and in which the 263
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ST: Mississippi Horse Racing Task Force;
create.
registered voters of the county in which the port is located have 264
not voted to prohibit such betting, gaming or wagering on vessels 265
as provided in Section 19-3-79; or 266
(d) That is legal under the laws of the State of 267
Mississippi. 268
SECTION 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from 269
and after July 1, 2026. 270