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Mississippi casinos begin taking sports wagers

Legal sports betting kicked off Wednesday in Mississippi, the first state outside of Nevada to allow bets on in-state colleges like Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

Sportsbooks at Gold Strike Casino in Tunica and Beau Rivage in Biloxi began accepting bets at noon local time.

Mississippi joins Delaware and New Jersey as states that have launched legal sports betting since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 in mid-May.

"Sports wagering is a rapidly growing, exciting new entertainment opportunity for our company," said Jim Murren, CEO of MGM Resorts, which owns Gold Strike and Beau Rivage.