Still No Online Betting in Michigan

The Michigan Gaming Control Board continues to move the goalposts as to when online sports betting in Michigan will launch.

Michigan Online sports betting is coming in 2021, but an official launch date has not yet been announced.

At one point, it seemed as if the industry would launch before the end of 2020, but then January became the target month. Now that we are 10 days into 2021, it could be another month before online sportsbooks are allowed to officially begin taking bets.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board has announced that the first wave of online operators is expected to be approved in mid-January, but that doesn’t mean they will be ready to go live at that time. The MGCB made it clear that no sportsbooks were ready to launch by the end of 2020, as final preparations were still being made.

Retail sportsbooks remain open throughout the state, but they can only operate under limited capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a large toll on the industry in Michigan, and online sports betting was supposed to get things back on track.

At least one commercial casino and one tribal casino must be approved in the first wave before the entire online industry can launch. This is expected to be the case by mid-January, but online sportsbooks have yet to confirm that they are ready.

Michigan Online casino gambling is also coming to the state of Michigan in 2021, but that will come after sports betting has been established. If the Michigan Gaming Control Board takes just as long to get online casino operators approved, it could be several months out.

Sports bettors in Michigan were hoping to have the ability to bet on the NFL playoffs that began on Saturday. Now, it appears that getting things underway before the Super Bowl is the new goal.

Illinois Keeping Pressure On

The state of Illinois is continuing to put pressure on the state of Michigan by extending its remote registration period. Illinois does have an in-person registration requirement in place, but Governor J.B. Pritzker has made an Executive Order to have that waived.

Illinois has emerged as a giant in the US sports betting industry, becoming one of the biggest markets in just a short amount of time. Illinois launched sports betting just days before Michigan, but having online betting has brought in a ton of bets and revenue.

Until Michigan launches online betting, Illinois will continue to post much larger numbers.

Iowa Expected to Get Boost

Iowa is another state that has had online sports betting, but that market is expected to see a huge boost in 2021. On Jan. 1, the in-person registration requirement was lifted, making it easier for sports bettors to create an online account.

Iowa is another state that has struggled to bring in big numbers through online sports betting because of the registration requirements. That is set to change, and there are already a number of terrific sportsbooks in the state.

If you want to stay up to date on the latest MI sports betting news and MI online casino info, then make sure to come back and check our news blog.

Relevant news