Pending Final Approval, Michigan Sports Betting Will Be Ready for March Madness
Published March 10, 2020 by Elana K
In-person sports betting in Michigan is slated to begin on March 11 at 1 p.m. at the state’s three commercial casinos. The final step before starting is for the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) to give official approval on March 10.
In-person sports betting in Michigan is slated to begin this Wednesday, March 11 at 1 p.m. at the state’s three commercial casinos. The final step before starting is for the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) to give official approval on Tuesday, March 10. According to the MGCB, all of the preliminary requirements have been met and there is no reason not to grant final approval. MGM Grand Detroit is ready to start taking bets immediately.
Should everything go according to plan, Michigan will have its in-person sports betting operation up and running in time for March Madness, which begins on March 17.
Richard S. Kalm, MGCB executive director, commented, “This new gaming opportunity has been highly anticipated, and we hope citizens will enjoy it and see benefits from additional revenue to both the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit.”
Mobile Betting Will Have to Wait
At this point, only in-person sports betting will be operational by March 11. Mobile betting is still being worked on, and the MGCB has yet to set statewide rules. Even Michigan tribal casinos, which are independently regulated, have not yet received the go-ahead for accepting online bets.
Revenue for the State
The Lawful Sports Betting Act that was signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in December 2019 calls for an 8.4 percent tax on sports bets after winnings are paid out. It also allowed the state’s three commercial casinos and tribal casinos to apply for licenses, which many of them did. The price was $50K for an application fee and $100K for a license fee. The bill covers not only sports betting, but online gambling, online poker, and daily fantasy sports. Estimates project that Michigan's gambling expansion can generate nearly $20 million in revenue, approximately $5 million of which will go to the state’s School Aid Fund.
