MGM Resorts goes live in Mississippi with sports betting

Mississippi joined Delaware and New Jersey Wednesday as the first states to start accepting sports bets following the recent overthrow of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act by the US Supreme Court.

MGM Resorts International properties Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi and Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica were the first to offer bets Wednesday on the opening day.

Industry observers expect West Virginia will soon follow suite, along with other states that have put legalised sports betting on their books.

“MGM Resorts is proud to once again assume the leadership position in the hospitality industry,” said Jim Murren, chairman and chief executive officer of MGM Resorts International. “Sports wagering is a rapidly growing, exciting new entertainment opportunity for our company. We were proud to take the first sports wager in Atlantic City in June and today the first legal sports wager in two locations in Mississippi.”

As a part of the MGM Resorts International portfolio, Beau Rivage and Gold Strike launch sports wagering operations with the strong support of MGM’s more than 25 years of sports wagering operations experience in Nevada, where the company’s resorts combine to write more than 4 million sports wagers each year with an annual handle of more than $1 billion.

“This is a banner day for Beau Rivage and all of Mississippi and we are proud to lead the way on the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” said Bill Boasberg, president & chief operating officer of Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. “Here in the heart of the South, home to some of the most ardent sports fans in the world, we open a whole new era of sports entertainment and we do it on the eve of football season. What could be better?”

At the stroke of noon, bets by sports celebrities and politicians were officially entered and ticketed and the Mississippi gaming industry entered a new era of sports entertainment.

David Tsai, president and chief operating officer of Gold Strike Casino Resort, heralded the arrival of sports betting with his customers and employees in Tunica.

“This is a defining moment in Gold Strike’s nearly 24-year history,” said Tsai. “Sports fans have long waited for this day and we are proud to be the first to offer our customers this exciting new opportunity to engage with their favorite sports and teams. We are honored to be a part of Mississippi gaming history.”

Beau Rivage and Gold Strike Sports Books are operating out of provisional sports betting windows due to the rapid arrival of legal sports wagering in Mississippi. Details and timelines of the enhancements will be announced at a future date.

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