Michigan to flick switch on digital gambling this week
Nine operators approved to spearhead launch on January 22 as state becomes the fifth in the US with online casinos
Online sports betting and gaming will be up and running in Michigan from noon local time on Friday 22 January.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has approved the first nine casinos and their online partners to launch on that date, with further approvals expected shortly.
US market leaders FanDuel and DraftKings will go live in the state via their partnerships with MotorCity Casino and Bay Mills Indian Community respectively after securing licenses in December.
DraftKings will be live in 11 states after launching in Michigan, the most of any US operator.
CEO Jason Robins said: “Foremost, we would like to thank Bay Mills for their tremendous support in bringing DraftKings to the great state of Michigan.
“We are confident that our mutual commitment to product innovation and customer experience will serve as a solid foundation as we soon introduce Michiganders to the DraftKings experience.”
The duo will be joined by BetMGM, William Hill, Barstool Sportsbook, TwinSpires, Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Rush Street Interactive and Wynn.
The operators now have two days to tweak online platforms to meet state requirements, although many have been advertising in Michigan for several weeks, allowing customers to sign up and create accounts despite not being able to wager.
Michigan, which is home to a population of almost 10 million, as well as two-dozen tribal casinos and three commercial casinos (all in Detroit), will become the sixth state with regulated online gaming, although the fifth with online casino as Nevada only permits online poker.
It also becomes the 13th state with legal online and mobile sports betting up and running.
MGCB executive director Richard Kalm said: “Online gaming and sports betting will provide the casinos with new ways to engage with customers while the state and local communities will benefit from taxes and payments on wagering revenue.”
In-person sports betting kicked off in Michigan in March 2020 but was quickly derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The in-person betting lounges reopened in the summer, before closing down again in November but have remained operational at reduced capacity since December 22.
Michigan regulators have also committed to joining the interstate poker liquidity network once the vertical launches in the Great Lakes State.