DraftKings Signs Deal To Enter Michigan Sports Betting Market

• DraftKings has entered the Michigan sports betting industry in their latest deal.
• The mobile sportsbook will be available to the people of Michigan once licenses are approved that will also give them a retail location at the Bay Mills Resort & Casino.

BRIMLEY, Mich. – DraftKings will officially be a mobile sportsbook operator in Michigan once the proper licenses are approved. Having struck a partnership with the Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley, this will mark the eighth state where the DraftKings mobile sports betting platform will have a presence in the industry in the United States.

The other seven states include Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Not only will Michigan sports bettors be able to access DraftKings mobile sportsbook, but they can also use their retail location which will be within the doors of the Bay Mills Casino.

Of the eight states that have mobile applications with the operator, seven of them use their retail sports betting operations as well.

Michigan will be one of those seven when the licenses go through.

“We are excited about our new partnership with DraftKings,” said Bryan Newland, Tribal Chairman for the Bay Mills Indian Community. “Expanding on what entertainment options we can offer at Michigan’s longest operating gaming facility is always our goal. Our new on-site DraftKings Sportsbook will be one more great reason for Michiganders to vacation with us in the Upper Peninsula.”

In December 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer made sports betting legal for Michigan. Since then, sportsbooks have been trying to get their feet off the ground which has not been an easy task because of the Coronavirus pandemic causing shutdowns everywhere.

Professional sporting events were also part of the collateral damage from the outbreak with many organizations suspending their seasons.

Mobile sportsbooks were not slated to launch until at least 2021 but everything is a go for DraftKings and Michigan sports bettors after the regulations have been met and licenses are handed out.

By the time the NFL season begins, residents in Michigan can start placing bets on all kinds of sports, with the NFL at the forefront of most wagers using the DraftKings platform.

DraftKings will have a plethora of sports matchups and wagers that residents can try their hand at. The operator is known to be one of the best in the business, making them an excellent choice by the Bay Mills Casino.

“Through a commitment to provide customers with a premier sports betting experience, DraftKings is happy to partner with Bay Mills Resort & Casino,” said Ezra Kucharz, DraftKings’ Chief Business Officer. “The Great Lakes State presents a number of gaming opportunities and we look forward to collaborating with Bay Mills to provide residents with the best-in-class experience DraftKings is known for.”

The sportsbook is confident in the potential business that can be acquired from the market by the Wolverine State. After surveying the state, they found that 55% of sports fans were an untapped market for online sports betting while a third of those surveyed admitted to using offshore sports betting platforms to place bets on sports matchups.

The Waiting Game

Michigan will find legal mobile and internet sports betting within reach this year.

It all depends on how long the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) takes to give DraftKings the approval to launch. Retail sportsbooks in the state launched very shortly in March before being closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

With mobile applications, there is no need to worry about social distancing being that sports bettors can wager from anywhere, and with sports making their comeback, the MGCB cannot approve licenses soon enough for DraftKings.

The Wolverine State wants to start making up for those lost dividends and mobile sports betting seems like as good a market as any to begin to do that in helping with an economical comeback from a global pandemic.

News tags: Bay Mills Resort & Casino | COVID-19 | DraftKings Sportsbook | MGCB | Michigan | Michigan Gaming Control Board | NFL