Online sports betting will be taxed at an 8.4% rate, and online gaming ranges from about 20%

Michigan: 10th sports betting operator approved to go live online Friday

Lac Vieux Desert tribe and its platform provider PointsBet became the 10th operator approved by Michigan regulators to offer online sports betting beginning Friday.
2021-01-21
Reading time 4:04 min
Lac Vieux Desert tribe and its platform provider PointsBet; WynnBET through a multi-year deal with GAN and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians; and Golden Nugget Online Gaming's online casino and sportsbook, have all been authorized to launch their online products in the state.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board announced on Wednesday said it had authorized a 10th operator to offer online sports betting beginning Friday: Lac Vieux Desert tribe and its platform provider PointsBet.

The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians operates the Northern Waters Casino Resort in Watersmeet, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the Detroit News reports.

Other casinos and platform providers received authorization Tuesday to launch online sports betting or both online gaming and sports betting Friday, following the legalization of online wagering in the state, including:

  • Bay Mills Indian Community, DraftKings
  • Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, William Hill
  • Greektown Casino, Penn Sports Interactive/Barstool Sportsbook
  • Hannahville Indian Community, TwinSpires
  • Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Golden Nugget Online Gaming
  • Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Rush Street
  • MGM Grand Detroit, BetMGM/Roar Digital
  • MotorCity Casino, FanDuel
  • Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Wynn

All of them except Greektown will simultaneously launch both online casino gaming and internet sports betting; Penn National Gaming, Greektown's owner, has said it will launch online gaming in the near future.

MGCB has said it expects to authorize additional operators and platform providers in the coming days and weeks. Michigan's law, signed at the end of 2019, allows only the state's licensed casinos to offer the two forms of gambling. Platform providers can pair up with the casinos.

The long-awaited move to open up online wagering in the state — which has generated huge interest and enthusiasm from fans, as well as an advertising blitz from operators and platform providers — comes just in time for NFL conference championships this weekend and Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7. 

It also comes at a pivotal moment for casinos, which have weathered shutdown orders and strict capacity limits since the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, sharply driving down revenues, the Detroit News reports.

Detroit's three casinos — MGM Grand, MotorCity, and Greektown — reported nearly $639 million in aggregate revenue in 2020, down 57% from a record of nearly $1.5 billion in 2019, according to the gaming control board. They paid $73.8 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the city in 2020, down from $184.2 million paid in 2019.

Online sports betting will be taxed at a rate of 8.4%. The rate for online gaming ranges from about 20% to 28%, according to MGCB.

The state permitted on-site sports betting to begin in March, days before widespread game cancellations and before casinos were ordered to close to help stop the spread of the virus. Greektown and MGM, for example, have already launched retail sportsbooks, as have several tribal casinos.

WynnBET

The casino and sports betting app from the global leader in luxury hospitality, Wynn Resorts, will open its virtual doors to bettors in Michigan this month. Available for registration and use throughout the state, WynnBET offers a broad selection of professional sports and high-end casino games that users can quickly and easily toggle between, with both verticals integrated into one remarkably reliable, smooth, and secure mobile app.

"We are excited to bring WynnBET and the renowned Wynn betting experience to Michigan, the first of many additional states we intend to enter in 2021," said Craig Billings, President of Wynn Resorts. "With its large and highly engaged community of sports and casino fans, we are confident that Michigan will become a meaningful market for us."

WynnBET gained market access in Michigan through a multi-year deal with GAN and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. In addition to Michigan, WynnBET is currently available in New Jersey and Colorado, with market access secured in Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, and Massachusetts1. WynnBET has also submitted for licensure in Tennessee and Virginia. Such market access and licensure are subject to legalization and required approvals by regulatory authorities in each jurisdiction.

Golden Nugget

Golden Nugget Online Gaming has received authorization from the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) to start offering its Online Casino and Sportsbook on Friday. The online casino and sportsbook will be available at GoldenNuggetCasino.com and via Android and iOS applications.

In Michigan, Golden Nugget will offer its premium product and customer experience through its partnership with the Ojibwa Casino & the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC).

GoldenNuggetCasino.com will feature a variety of online slots & table games and will offer a welcome bonus up to a $1,000, plus its popular promotions, including The Five Million Dollar Race.

Golden Nugget will also launch a brand new version of its online sportsbook, using the world-class Open Sports platform from Scientific Games. GoldenNuggetSports.com will offer up to $250 in Free Bets to all-new sportsbook customers as well as daily odds boost (Golden Lines", reduced juice bet-types (Notorious VIG), and enhanced parlays with the "Parlay Boost" feature. Pre-game and live betting will be offered across all American sports leagues and a wide selection of international sports.

Thomas Winter, President, Golden Nugget Online Gaming said: "We are really excited to go live in Michigan and are committed to offering a superior product, flawless execution and world-class player experience like we have done in New Jersey. We'd like to thank our partner, the Ojibwa Casino and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, for their support in introducing our premium online casino and sportsbook in the great state of Michigan."

"We look forward to our partnership with the Golden Nugget. Their launch highlights our commitment in bringing an exceptional online casino and sportsbook experience to our patrons in Michigan. Working with a strong brand such as Golden Nugget complements our casino offerings in Marquette and Baraga," said Larry Denomie III, General Manager, Ojibwa Casino.

Beginning Friday, January 22nd, 2021, Michigan players can place wagers & sports bets on their laptops or download the Golden Nugget Online Casino app to their smartphone or tablet.

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