MGM Casinos First To Accept Sports Betting In Mississippi

Since new regulations for Mississippi sports betting went live on July 1, sports bettors in the state have been eager to get in on the action. They will be able to place their wagers from tomorrow as the Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, and Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi will accept their first legal bets on Wednesday, August 1.

These two gaming resorts in Mississippi belong to MGM Resorts International who is very happy to launch sports betting in the state.

MGM released a statement which said that the Biloxi and Tunica resorts which are located at opposite ends in the state will celebrate the big event by getting special guests to place the first-ever bets at the locations at the same time.

The initial sports wagers will also be made to celebrate 26 years after the first-ever casino bet was processed in the modern casino era of Mississippi. That was when someone rolled a pair of dice for the first time on August1, 1992 at Biloxi’s Isle of Capri.

All bets will currently be limited to on-premises and retail. Mississippi passed legislation in 2017 that made sports betting legal. A May decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) altered federal law but only permits certain types of wagering including in person and through mobile devices at casino premises.

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VIP Guests To Place First Sports Bets

Various important people from the sports world will make the first bets. They include Robert Royal who is a former NFL player who represented different franchises during 2002-2010; former NFL running back and Pro Bowler Willis McGahee (2003-2013); and sports analyst and handicapper Danny Sheridan for USA TODAY.

More than a dozen of Mississippi casinos have already applied for sports betting licenses. They are mostly located in Tunica located in north-western MS and Biloxi located on the region’s Gulf Coast. Complete details about the Beau Rivage sportsbook are unavailable. However, it will likely offer a traditional menu that includes straight bets, props, parlays, futures, and teasers.

In a statement, Allen Godfrey is executive director for the Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) said

It’s been exciting, it’s been busy, and we’re starting to get applications in. Operators are diligently preparing. It appears that the enthusiasm is high. We’ve had staff in Nevada, we’ve had them in New Jersey. We talk constantly with these other agencies and the model we are after is the Nevada model