Sports betting approved in Mississippi

Today, sports betting became legal in the state of Mississippi.

This morning, the Mississippi Gaming Commission approved sport betting regulations. This will allow people to place bets legally on professional and some amateur sporting events for the first time. Under the regulations, the wagers can be made only in casinos.

Some of the bets can be placed through a cell phone using official casino apps, but they must be made on casino properties.

Those in the gaming industry believe this could help boost tourism and revenues for the state. Harrah’s Gulf Coast GM Jonathan Jones said, “We’re excited about the type of customer this is going to attract to the state of Mississippi. Folks will come in and they’ll enjoy watching sports and sports are a big part of the culture here in the South. We’re also excited about what it means for our hotel business, our restaurant business, and our other gaming businesses as well.”

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law last month that barred gambling on football, basketball, baseball, and other sports in most states. Mississippi casinos will begin taking bets in 30 days.