Place a Bet at a Detroit Sportsbook Starting March 10th
Detroit will is getting sports betting, just in time for March Madness. This is the news after a vote by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. Three downtown Detroit casinos will begin taking bets on Wednesday, March 11th.
The move in MI required the issuing of a special temporary permit to the three sportsbook operators. The sportsbooks wanted to go live in time for the NCAA Tournament, but the state did not have time to do the full process required for permitting. The state agreed to allow three operators with licenses in other jurisdictions or countries to open for business starting 3/11.
Michigan legalized sports betting late in 2019 and things have moved quickly. It only took a few weeks for Detroit sportsbook operators to be ready for opening day.
Three Detroit Sportsbooks are Opening On Wednesday and Thursday
Moneyline Sports Lounge at MGM Grand Detroit
MGM in Detroit will add eight sports betting ticket counters to its Moneyline Sports Lounge. There will also be self-checkout betting kiosks around the lounge and tons of TVs.
MGM reportedly spent $6 million dollars building the Moneyline lounge with the intention of adding betting later. So, they are ready for action as of March 11th. BetMGM will of course be the official sportsbook brand at the Moneyline lounge in Detroit.
Betting at the MGM Grand will go live at 1 PM on Wednesday.
Greektown Casino-Hotel
The Greektown Casino Hotel will have its own sportsbook lounge. Its on the third floor and features four windows, 28 self-checkout betting kiosks and a great viewing experience for NFL, NBA, March Madness and more.
The sportsbook lounge at Greektown will be operated by Penn National Gaming. This is the company that recently bought Barstool Sports. It is expected that the hotel and sportsbook could become a Barstool theme product.
Betting at the Greektown Casino will go live at 1 PM on Wednesday as well.
The MotorCity Casino Hotel
The third sportsbook to open this week in Detroit will be MotorCity. This betting lounge will have 54 kiosks and six windows for placing bets. MotorCity Casino recently partnered with FanDuel to power and operate the in-person sportsbook at the Detroit property.
FanDuel sportsbook will also be able to operate online in the state when MI does go live for online betting. A MotorCity online brand is rumored as well.
MotorCity will begin taking bets at 10 AM on Thursday.
When will Michigan get online sports betting?
Michigan legalized online sports betting in December of 2019, but betting is not expected to go live in the state until 2021. So, in the mean time it will be in-person betting only.
According to the MGCB, it is going to take a year to finalize the regulations for online betting and gaming.
Earlier this year, PointsBet Sportsbook announced that it would be coming to Michigan when the state adds online betting. FanDuel and others also already have market access.
Like the rest of the country, it is expected that the heavy majority of betting will be done online and on mobile devices in Michigan. So, the state of MI does not expect a windfall of tax dollars until online betting is approved by the Michigan Gaming Control board.
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