All of the rules have been set, and now it is time for Michigan lawmakers to deliver on the promise that they made to their constituents and debut mobile sportsbooks and gambling apps once and for all.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the state legislature has been busy trying to pave the way for these mobile gaming apps for most of 2020 after COVID-19 caused sports betting and casino operations to shut down last March, effectively curtailing the income of tax dollars based on legal gambling in MI.
Sportsbooks had just opened their doors and had received promising revenue generation upon launching, but when the pandemic caused for closure, lawmakers realized the sudden importance of mobile options in the state of Michigan.
Now, ten months later, MI sports betting and casino gambling apps are available to residents as well as visitors to the area. All that is required to download these apps and bet real money on sports or gamble on casino games is a minimum age of 21 years old and to be physically located within the state’s borders.
“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.”
Richard Kalm – Executive Director, Michigan Gaming Control Board
For sports betting in particular, debuting prior to Super Bowl 55 was a priority, and now Michigan is enjoying the additional tax revenue boost that the NFL’s biggest game of the year provides.
DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM are often some of the first sportsbooks that attempt to enter burgeoning sports betting and gaming markets, and MI is no exception.
Joining the three aforementioned online gaming giants, Michigan has also granted access to Barstool Sportsbook, William Hill, PointsBet, Golden Nugget, TwinSpires, Rush Street, and Wynn.
In-state gaming apps were able to accept members in advance of the January 22 start date so that Michigan bettors could place wagers and play real money casino games instantly upon rollout.
Offshore gambling and sportsbook sites are what prompted many MI legislators to alter their stance on in-state sports betting and domestic casino options.
Casinos and sportsbooks that are based overseas are able to accept action from Michigan gamblers over the web due to current federal law’s inability to govern them.
Because these international betting sites are so prominent in MI, state politicians decided that it was in the best interest of the citizenry that regulated domestic casinos and sportsbooks should be provided to capture as much tax revenue as possible.
If there is no legal way to stop the flow of dollars offshore, then the state can at least capture a significant share of that profit stream and direct it back toward the taxman.
Once COVID-19 subsides and all land-based casinos can open up without restriction, Michigan will feature all avenues of sports betting and casino games – brick-and-mortar, mobile, and offshore.
The real winners are the gamblers and sports bettors in the Michigan area because legal choices are plentiful across all mediums, and more expansion is expected in the near future.
Source: Detroit Free Press