Gaming revenues in Mississippi casinos across all regions experienced a slight increase in January from the previous year, with sports betting revenues reaching a monthly record.

The Mississippi Gaming Commission said Tuesday that gamblers wagered $194.3 million for the month, a 7% increase from the same time period in 2020.

The sports betting handle was $67.7 million, an increase of 10.6% over the previous monthly high of $61.2 million set in October 2020.  January’s handle also was an increase of 22.4% from December 2020’s $55.3 million.

Taxable revenue from sports betting was $9.11 million in January, an increase of 17.4% over December 2020’s $7.77 million.

The total handle for sports betting at casinos in Mississippi’s Coastal Region, which includes Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay St. Louis, was $46.3 million, with taxable revenue of $6.1 million.

In the Northern Tier, which includes Tunica and Lula counties, wagers totaled $9.4 million, with taxable revenue of $1.3 million. The handle at casinos in the Central Region (Adams, Warren, and Washington counties) was $12 million with taxable revenue of $1.68 million.

Overall, casinos in the Coastal Region brought in $117.3 million, an increase of 3.1% from January 2020’s $113.7 million.

Northern Tier casinos accounted for $49.5 million in January, up 13.6% compared to $43.2 million in the same period during the previous year.

Casinos in the Central Region accounted for $27.5 million, an increase of 12.8% from the $24.2 million in January 2020.