Three Michigan casinos to launch on-site sports betting Wednesday

On-site sports betting is expected to go live Wednesday in Michigan, just in time for March Madness. It'll be a first for the state and applies to the three Detroit casinos —Motor City, MGM Grand and Greektown.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board, which licenses and regulates casino gaming at the Detroit commercial casinos, is expected to authorize on-site sports betting at its public meeting Tuesday at Cadillac Place in Detroit. It is set to become active the following day at 1 p.m.

"This new gaming opportunity has been highly anticipated," said Richard Kalm, the board's executive director, as reported by the Detroit Free Press. "And we hope citizens will enjoy it and see benefits from additional revenue to both the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit.”

The board does not regulate on-site sports betting at tribal casinos, so they plan to announce their bets individually. Online and mobile sports bets will not be available in the state until 2021.

The sports betting authorization comes just a few months after a public act legalizing the gaming was signed into law and just days before the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, also referred to as March Madness, is set to kick-off. 

The tournament is one of the most famous sporting events and long has been a source bets. The American Gaming Association estimated that 47 million Americans bet $8.5 billion on last year's tournament, and those numbers are expected to increase this year.

To get ready, the board issued provisional licenses to suppliers who assist the casinos with on-site sports betting by providing sports betting kiosks and information among other services. The agency said it plans to issue full licenses in the next few months.

Next year, the board also is expected to finalize rules for online sports betting and internet casino gaming, including fantasy sports and, the board said, it can begin after licenses are issued to the Michigan tribes and the Detroit commercial casinos and the firms that assist with these activities.