Mississippi sports betting will come on August 1st, which is 26 years to the day after the first casino in the state opened in Biloxi in 1992.

The initial wagers are expected to be placed simultaneously at about noon at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi and at Gold Strike Casino in Tunica. Sports books at the two MGM Resorts International casinos will then open to the public.

So for the first weekend or two of the NFL pre-season games, the state could have four casinos taking wagers.

The launch of sports betting comes 10 days after Mississippi’s sports betting regulations took effect on July 22. Mississippi is the third state, following Delaware and New Jersey, to allow sports betting since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal ban in May. And Mississippi is the only state in the South to have sports betting this season.

More on Mississippi sports betting at the Sun Herald.