DraftKings prep sportsbook at Mississippi’s Scarlet Pearl casino

Daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings is opening its first physical sportsbook in Mississippi, which will also mark the company’s first sports betting presence outside New Jersey.

On Monday, DraftKings announced that it had reached a deal with the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in D’Iberville, Mississippi to open the new ‘Draftkings at Scarlet Pearl Sportsbook’ this Friday (16). The deal follows DraftKings receiving a wagering license from the Mississippi Gaming Commission.

The new sportsbook, which will be overseen by Station Casino veteran Nicholas Sfanos, will be a revamped version of the Scarlet Pearl’s existing PRL Bar. The venue is being kitted out with a suitably impressive array of big-screen TVs broadcasting any number of sports events, and DraftKings also says it will “soon” be offering live in-play betting via three betting windows.

Future amenities will include automated betting kiosks and an “on-premise” mobile betting app – true online and mobile wagering not being allowed in Mississippi – although the kiosks and mobile app are still awaiting regulatory approval. SBTech is already offering betting kiosks at several Mississippi casinos, including two Churchill Downs Inc properties.