BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - Legalized sports betting is now available in Mississippi.

  

Mississippi became the fourth state in the nation Wednesday to offer sports wagering. The others are Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey.

  

The first bets in Mississippi were simultaneously taken at noon at Beau Rivage on the Gulf Coast and at its sister property, Gold Strike, in Tunica.

  

News outlets report former NFL players Willis McGahee and Robert Royal were in Biloxi to celebrate with Beau Rivage executives.

  

The law went into effect following a Supreme Court ruling in May that allows sports betting to be offered in places besides Nevada.

  

Caesars Entertainment announced Monday their Mississippi properties, Harrah's Gulf Coast and Horseshoe Tunica, are aiming at opening their sports books in mid-August.