FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek became the first Michigan tribal casino to open a sportsbook on Monday.
With Detroit’s trio of casinos closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dacey’s Sportsbook at FireKeepers is the only place to make a legal sports bet this week in the Great Lakes State.
The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi signed with Scientific Games to operate Dacey’s retail sportsbook, along with the forthcoming online sports betting and casino games.
Four kiosks for now at Dacey’s Sportsbook
The sportsbook opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday morning at FireKeepers, which reopened on June 1.
Jim Wise, the vice president of sports/online gaming for FireKeepers, told TV station WWMT that players can bet in person or at four self-serve kiosks.
Wise said FireKeepers plans to have about a dozen kiosks by Labor Day.
FireKeepers sportsbook is fourth in state
Michigan already has three retail sportsbooks in Detroit.
On March 11, MGM Grand Detroit opened BetMGM Sportsbook and Greektown Casino-Hotel launched its temporary sportsbook.
The following day, MotorCity Casino launched FanDuel Online Sportsbook as sports around the globe started to shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.
At the time, FireKeepers was planning a spring launch for Dacey’s, but pushed it back because of the pandemic.
No other launch dates planned for Michigan sportsbooks
The state’s largest tribal casino — Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant — has not yet announced its sports betting partnership or launch plans.
But several other of Michigan’s tribal casinos have announced partnerships for sportsbooks but have not announced launch dates.
They include:
- Bay Mills Casino in Brimley partnered with DraftKings.
- Gun Lake Casino in Wayland partnered with Parx Casino.
- Kewadin Casinos in the Upper Peninsula have partnered with GAN for their sportsbook technology platform.
- Leelanau Sands and Turtle Creek casinos partnered with William Hill.
- Little River Casino in Manistee announced Monday a partnership with Rush Street Interactive to launch BetRivers.
- Northern Waters Casino in Watersmeet partnered with PointsBet.
- Odawa Casinos partnered with The Stars Group, operators of Fox Bet.
Online gambling coming later this year to Michigan
When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed expanded gambling laws in December, an early 2021 launch was expected.
However, Executive Director Richard Kalm of the Michigan Gaming Control Board said this month that he’s “cautiously optimistic” about launching this year.
In addition, Sen. Adam Hollier introduced a bill in the Michigan Senate last week to issue temporary licenses to online casino operators during the pandemic, provided they were licensed in other states.
The bill does not impact the launch of online sports betting.
