Michigan Won’t See Newly Legal Sports Betting In Time For SB54

Michigan made sports betting legal at the end of 2019.
NFL fans were hoping to place legal wagers on the Super Bowl in February but the state will not be ready in time for the big game.
Retail locations are expected to launch in the Spring of 2020 while online and mobile platforms may not see any action until 2021.

DETROIT – Although sports betting in Michigan was legalized in December 2019, the state will not have any type of sportsbooks available for Super Bowl 54. The new law made both retail and online/mobile platforms legal for sports bettors. However, the launch of both will take more time.

Sports betting bill, MI HB 4916 signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer allowed the 26 casinos in the state to offer wagers on sporting events like the Super Bowl. But rules and regulations needed to be set into place before licenses could be handed out. Unfortunately, NFL fans will not see any place within the state to gamble on SB54 as it’s happening on February 2.

When Can Michigan Expect To Have Sports Betting?

Retail locations would like to be up and running for March Madness betting, which is highly possible as it’s easier to launch land-based establishments when they’re just expansions of an existing gambling facility. The FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek is already prepared for both retail and online sports betting as they’ve just hired Scientific Games as their sports betting operator.

Even though they’re ready to start this new business venture, internet and mobile applications will take more time to develop and roll out to the public. Typically, states launch these platforms anywhere from six months to a year after legalization.

“The MGCB is following the regular rules process, which provides opportunities for stakeholder and public input — holding a public hearing and offering a public comment period — and to file a regulatory impact statement,” said Mary Kay Bean, a spokeswoman for the MGCB.

This has the Michigan Gaming Control Board shooting for a date for an online and mobile sports betting application launch slated for some time in 2021. They believe it will take almost an entire year to set up all the rules and regulations for the online gaming aspect of the law.

While sports betting in Michigan won’t be ready for Super Bowl 54, it should definitely be ready for Super Bowl 55. Retail locations being ready by the Spring of 2020 is a step in the right direction, but it’s the internet applications that are expected to bring in the real money.

“Until we’re fully integrated online, I don’t think we’ll be able to capitalize on revenue. But from a consumer protection standpoint, from getting players interested, certainly getting up and going in person is helpful,” said Rep. Brandt Iden (R-Oshtemo Township), the man that was behind MI HB 4916.

The state of Michigan is ready for legal sports betting to launch statewide. Wagering on sports matchups is estimated to bring in $19 million annually in revenue. NFL sports bettors may not be able to contribute to that revenue stream for the Super Bowl this year but once the state launches legal wagers, there will be plenty of time to catch up in the future.

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Christina Monroe

Christina has been writing for as long as she can remember and does dedicated research on the newly regulated sports betting market. She comes from a family of sports lovers that engage in friendly bets from time to time. During the winter months, you can find Christina baking cookies and beating the entire staff at Mario Kart…the N64 version of course.