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The road leading to the legalization of sports betting in Michigan has resembled a lively square dance.
While politicians were engaged in the legislative shuffle in Lansing, MI, casino executives and tribal administrations actively sought out various entities to manage their sportsbooks and offer sports betting technologies.
Last month, Bruce Dall, the president of MotorCity Casino, expressed that there was an abundant number of potential candidates interested in the sportsbook opening at the Detroit facility.
Last month, Dall revealed that when we attended ICE London a year ago, we received a whopping 22 partnership offers. This statement was made during the introduction of MotorCity’s FanDuel Sportsbook.
“FanDuel unquestionably made a remarkable entrance in New Jersey. Collaborating with this exceptional brand has been an absolute pleasure for us.”
MotorCity, a sports betting facility spanning nearly 9,000 square feet and built at a cost of slightly over $3 million, is owned by Marian Ilitch, a billionaire from Detroit. Unfortunately, its grand opening coincided with the global shutdown of sports leagues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Casinos across the state are optimistic that the deals they have made will put them in a favorable position to thrive when sports resume, just like MotorCity with FanDuel.
Barstool, BetMGM hit Motown
Greektown Casino-Hotel and MGM Grand Detroit, Detroit’s two other casinos, did not need to make local decisions regarding their partnerships.
In January, Greektown, which is under the ownership of Penn National Gaming, revealed its collaboration with Barstool Sports for sports betting. The primary emphasis of this partnership revolves around enhancing the sportsbook branding.
During the opening of Greektown’s sportsbook last month, John Drake, the general manager of Greektown, announced that although the current location is not Barstool-branded, the permanent one set to open later this year will be.
Greektown has chosen Kambi, a technology partner based in the UK.
On March 11, the new sportsbook at MGM Grand Detroit was revealed to the public. Following the trend of other MGM establishments like The Mirage, Bellagio, and Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, it was branded as BetMGM.
The BetMGM opening in Detroit was attended by representatives from Roar Digital, an operator jointly owned by MGM and GVC.
MGM Grand Detroit representatives made a great start at the local level, according to Matt Prevost, Roar’s chief marketing officer.
Prevost said that the property has established a strong rapport with the local community and regulators, which has greatly facilitated the smooth transition of going live in Michigan.
Across the Lower Peninsula
Many of the 12 other casinos in the Lower Peninsula have formed partnerships, except those located in Detroit.
Turtle Creek and Leelanau Sands, both casinos operated by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians in northwest Michigan, have formed a partnership with William Hill.
Scientific Games has been chosen as the technology partner for FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, as they aim to establish their online casino and sports betting app closely associated with their property.
Parx Casino in Pennsylvania, owned by Greenwood Racing Inc., has joined forces with Gun Lake Casino in Wayland to handle their sportsbook operations and online gaming platform.
In January, a partnership was unveiled by The Stars Group with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. This collaboration entails the utilization of the Fox Bet app by the tribe, allowing online betting services to be offered through the Odawa casinos located in Petoskey and Mackinaw City.
In an email to Playinmichigan on Wednesday, Mike Bean, the CEO of Soaring Eagle in Mount Pleasant, expressed that he was not prepared to disclose any details regarding technology or branding partnership plans for their trio of casinos at this time.
There have been no announcements made by Little River Casino in Manistee and Four Winds Casino, which has three locations in southwest Michigan, regarding their plans for sports betting.
Over the Mackinac Bridge
Partnerships have been announced by several of the 11 casinos in the Upper Peninsula.
In January, the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians became one of the pioneering organizations in the state by going public. The tribe revealed their collaboration with PointsBet to offer mobile sports betting and online gaming services.
In January, the tribe made an announcement stating that it had entered into exclusive negotiations with PointsBet for the management of its retail sportsbook located at the Northern Waters Casino Resort in Watersmeet, close to the Wisconsin border.
GAN has joined forces with Kewadin Casinos, a company with five U.P. locations, to provide retail sports betting and online casino services.
One of the noteworthy developments in Michigan is determining which operator has yet to form a partnership with a casino.
In an email sent to Playinmichigan on Wednesday, Stephen Miraglia, the Communications Director for DraftKings, stated that the company currently has no announcements to make.
