Sports betting will begin at two Mississippi casinos later this week, MGM Resorts announced Monday.

The Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi and Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica -- both MGM properties -- will begin accepting legal sports wagers at noon on Wednesday. The date marks the 26th anniversary of the first casino wagering in Mississippi back in 1992.

A number of dignitaries, including former NFL star Willis McGahee and oddsmaker Danny Sheridan of Mobile, will place the first bets simultaneously. The general public will then be invited to begin wagering.

According to a report by the Sun Herald of Biloxi, the Beau Rivage will initially offer seven betting stations, with expansion planned in the near future. This week's sportsbook openings will coincide with the beginning of the NFL preseason.

Sports gambling was legalized in Mississippi last month and has been approved by the Mississippi Gaming Commission since July 22. Mississippi will become the third state after New Jersey and Delaware to offer legalized wagering since a May 14 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down federal laws against sports gambling outside Nevada.

Other Mississippi casinos are expected to open their sports books by the beginning of the football regular season. College football season begins Aug. 26, with the NFL to follow on Sept. 6.