What's going on in Michigan? Online Betting Frozen Until 2021

The prospect of legal online sports betting launching this year in Michigan has hit a massive roadblock. Reports are now estimating that the launch will likely take place in early 2021.

The process of introducing the industry to the state has been long, as online sports betting in Michigan has been legal since December 2019.

We have now witnessed the dates for Michigan’s hopes for the betting landscape to be finished pushed back multiple times. The original projection had Michigan launching online sports betting by the start of the 2020 NFL season. 

This was pushed back by the coronavirus pandemic that forced the closure of casinos and sportsbook offices across the country. The timeline was once again pushed back after a date for a Thanksgiving was set. The discussion on how to put forth laws surrounding mobile betting is still ongoing. 

Thus, the new plan is now for sports betting to launch in early 2021, as Michigan will look to be a key player by joining other states with deep sports history and cultures in the Midwest such as Indiana and Illinois. 

What Will Michigan Sports Betting Include?

The bills that Michigan has passed paint a descriptive picture of how the sports betting industry in the state will be set up. The state will have both mobile and retail betting. With such a deep sports culture, massive population and relaxed betting laws Michigan is estimated to hit around $5 billion annually when the market is fully matured. 

Each of the state’s three commercial casinos and 23 tribal casinos will have the ability to open up sportsbooks, meaning there will be no shortages of places for Michigan residents to wager in person. Sports betting in the state will be taxed at 8.4%, which is near the lower end of the scale when compared to other states. 

How Michigan can Succeed

Mobile betting will be a key part of the industry. Michigan has followed the New Jersey method of allowing players to complete everything on a mobile device. This includes being able to register, make payment transactions and bet from a computer or mobile app. 

Other states have excluded certain bets on in-state colleges and other competitions, whereas Michigan has given the green light for bets on Michigan and Michigan State, as well as other colleges in the area. 

Even though the current pandemic effectively puts a halt to retail betting on a major scale, and the rules for mobile betting are still being finalized, the excitement for Michigan sports betting has not diminished.  

We are predicting that the state which hosts some of the country’s most prominent sports teams including one of the NHL’s ‘Original Six’ the Detroit Red Wings will be a success as soon as mobile betting is launched.

Top sportsbooks around the country have already secured partnerships, licenses and plans for their eventual launch in the Great Lakes state. 

Online Sportsbooks Destined for the Great Lakes State

Despite the prolonging of an official launch, there are online sportsbooks all set to go once the word is finally given. So far, a total of six master licenses have been approved by the state, giving players in Michigan a look in at the sportsbook options they will have. 

The MotorCity Casino in Detroit has partnered with FanDuel Sportsbook, and will be one of three Detroit casinos offering retail sports betting. 

BetMGM Sportsbook

The online sportsbook and betting app was always going to appear in Michigan. With property in Detroit by way of the MGM Grand Detroit, BetMGM had a simple entrance into the state. The sportsbook has already been active in the state, signing a betting partnership with the NFL’s Detroit Lions and the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. 

A retail sportsbook has already been opened at the MGM Grand, and players can expect a desktop version and the mobile betting apps to come with the launch. 

PointsBet Sportsbook

The Australian founded sportsbook has been mighty active in the US betting landscape, opening in five states so far with a deal in place to make Michigan its sixth. PointsBet will seemingly be coming to Michigan at the Northern Waters Casino Resort, by way of a twenty-year agreement with the state’s tribe the Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. 

The agreement includes a path for branded PointsBet Sportsbook at the Northern Waters Casino Resort in Watersmeet. The sportsbook also has a deal with the MLB’s Detroit Tigers. PointsBet’s award winning mobile apps and online sportsbook will also surely be available. 

William Hill Sportsbook

Another overseas sportsbook that has been very active in expanding and getting licensed across the country. Now, William Hill has sights set on the launch in Michigan after securing access through a long-term agreement with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. 

The agreement reveals the plans of a retail William Hill Sportsbook at the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel in Williamsburg, with a satellite location at the Leelanau Sands Casino & Lodge. William Hill also has a partnership on the books with Caesars, which could see them scoop up even more spots in the state.