Sports gambling in Mississippi casinos won't begin this weekend

Sportsbooks like this one in Las Vegas should soon become a reality in Mississippi casinos. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Though legally allowed to do so as of Sunday, Mississippi's various casinos won't open their sportsbooks this weekend.

Sports gambling was legalized in Mississippi last month, with July 22 pinpointed as the date when casinos could begin operating sportsbooks. According to a report this week by the Sun Herald of Biloxi, however, casinos are taking their time setting up their sportsbooks, focusing on having sports wagering in place by the beginning of football season in late August/early September.

"Let's keep our eyes wide open and focus on doing it right and providing quality product," Palace Casino general manager Keith Crosby told the Sun Herald, "and allow it to mature into what it will become."

According to the report, a number of the 12 casinos on the Mississippi Coast -- including the Palace, Beau Rivage, Harrah's and Boomtown in Biloxi -- have begun renovating existing spaces into sports books. The IP in Biloxi and Scarlet Pearl in D'Iberville, among others, have been advertising various sportsbook jobs on their employment websites for several weeks.

Sportsbooks must be approved by the Mississippi Gaming Commission before they can begin offering wagers. College football season begins Aug. 26, with the NFL to follow on Sept. 6.

Delaware and New Jersey have already opened several sports betting locations, following the May 14 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down federal laws against sports gambling outside Nevada.

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