Welcome to iGB's State of the Union, a look at the biggest North American sports betting stories we've covered over the week and briefs on others we found interesting.
Mississippi senate approves sweeps ban
Mississippi lawmakers on Tuesday (11 February) became the first state in the nation to take decisive action in terms of banning digital sweepstakes. The state senate passed SB 2510, 44-1. The bill will now go to the house. The bill bans “online sweepstakes casino-style games” and operators would be fined $100,000 (£79,000/€95,000) per violation and could serve up to 10 years in prison. The level of crime was elevated from a misdemeanour to a felony.
The bill would also ban online racebooks and online sports pools. Brick-and-mortar casinos and sportsbooks and horse race tracks are legal throughout the state, but no form of digital gambling, including online casino, is.
Earlier in the session, HB 1302, which would allow for statewide digital sports betting, passed out t..