MGCB Approves 8 Operators to Launch on January 22

As online betting and gaming expand rapidly to new territories in the United States, the Michigan Gaming Control Board makes a historic announcement and approves eight operators to launch on Friday, January 22nd in the state.

The executive director of the MGCB, Richard S. Kalm, said that there is an increased consumer demand on the market, which is expected to deliver high revenue figures for the government and also generate significant returns through taxation.

Kalm added that the state’s commercial and tribal casinos are starting a new era this month by going live in a regulated online gaming and sports betting sector, whose residents love sports and eagerly anticipate the use of mobile devices for placing bets.

“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,” explains Kalm.

Testing Phase in Progress

According to the report, extra days between the announcement and Friday’s official launch in Michigan will serve as additional time for testing. Kalm said that the regulatory agency wants the public to have full confidence in legal wagering. Providers have also been put up to the challenge to meet the Gaming Control Board’s high standards, which are basically imagined as legitimate means to protect the consumers.

As noted, the state’s commercial land-based casinos in Detroit have all received the approval to start accepting bets on January 22nd, 2021. The list includes Penn National Gaming’s Greektown Casino that will launch Barstool Sportsbook as the only licensee permitted to offer betting but not iGaming products.

Next, the MGM Grand will launch with t venture BetMGM, while MotorCity Casino goes live with Flutter’s FanDuel brand, a New York City headquartered gaming company with daily fantasy sports and other betting products.

There are also six native American tribes in the picture whose online betting and gaming services will launch with Bay Mills Indian Community. The company agreed a partnership with a Boston-based daily fantasy operator DraftKings while the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians partnered with the US division of William Hill.

Meanwhile, Hannahville Indian Community teamed up with Churchill Downs Interactive and its recently revamped TwinSpires brand.

Among the latest brands to announce entrance into the market are Keweenaw Bay Indian Community which will cooperate with Golden Nugget Online Gaming and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians who will start accepting bets in collaboration with Rush Street Interactive.

At long last, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians formed a partnership with Wynn and platform supplier GAN. Further authorizations are coming in the next few days or weeks, since the commission issued provisional licenses for a total of 15 platforms in the previous period, including The Stars Group’s Fox Bet brand, PointsBet and Scientific Games’ NYX Digital Gaming.

Poker in the Air

As a reminder, retail sports betting was legalized in Michigan back in March 2020. The bill was pushed by a Representative Brandt Iden, but the market reported a 56.1% year-on-year drop in revenue from Detroit’s three leading land-based establishments last year.

Based on the report, operators in the state may soon start offering games of skill as well, since Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill that permits interstate poker.

Source:

“Michigan Sets January 22 Launch Date for Online Betting and Gaming”, Daniel Oboyle, igbnorthamerica.com, January 19th, 2021.