Sports betting to make historic debut in Mississippi’s tribal casinos

Mississippi is about to get a taste of sports betting action, thanks to The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, which is rolling out the game in the coming weeks.

The Clarion Ledger reported that the Choctaw Tribal Council has approved betting at the Silver Star Hotel and Casino, Golden Moon Hotel and Casino, and Bok Homa Casino on May 31, making them the first casinos in the state to offer the game. The Choctaws may also go down in U.S. history as the first Native American Tribe to offer sports betting should things go smoothly as planned, according to the tribe’s officials.

Unlike in other states, the Choctaws doesn’t need the approval of the state Gaming Commission to offer sports betting in their gambling facilities. Sonny Johnson, who oversees the Choctaws’ casinos, said the Choctaws has hurdled all regulatory issues that may prevent them from launching sports betting in Mississippi.

The tribe said for the past six months, it has been preparing for the possibility that the ban on sports betting will be lifted. Fortunately, majority of the U.S. Supreme Court magistrates have ruled to repeal the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992 for being unconstitutional.