Passing of the Mississippi Gaming Control Act of 1990 finally legalized In 1938, and raids on businesses to seek out illegal gambling were frequent. Slot machines and pinball machines were outlawed by the governor The veryįirst resort in the area Isle of Caprice opened in 1925 to incredible fanfare,īut there was pushback about gambling from the local authorities and religious The Mississippi Gulf Coast has been an entertainment meccaįor several decades, but it wasn't always a gambling-friendly place.