Mississippi sports betting licences for William Hill and SBTech

European gambling companies SBTech and William Hill have achieved licensed status in Mississippi allowing them to manufacture and distribute sports betting platforms in the state to land casino operators.

Local media reports indicate that William Hill USA is working with casino operator Penn International Gaming on sportsbooks for five of its properties, with the Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast and Boomtown Biloxi casinos launching sports betting today (Friday).

In related news, West Virginia sports betting will be live and legal from September 1, making the state the fifth in the US to push into the newly liberalised sports betting market.

Penn National Gaming announced Friday that its Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races will be the first to launch sports betting in West Virginia, powered by the US division of William Hill.

And in Pennsylvania Penn National Gaming has been the first to come forward and apply for one the expensive Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board sports betting licences, breaking the applications drought that has seen many observers speculating that the rates and taxes imposed by legislators were a deterrent to applicants.

The application was filed by PNG subsidiary Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing subsidiary, which operates the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.

Like West Virginia, Pennsylvania will permit online and mobile wagering,