Image: gamingpost.ca A lot is happening with Michigan gambling lately. MI online casinos and sports betting became legal in Michigan a few month ago. So now online and brick and mortar Michigan casinos are competing in the Great Lakes State. From March Madness numbers that became huge with Michigan online sports betting being legal to online technology provider Playtech that will now power a live studio MI casino. Gun Lake Casino is shelling out millions on the quest to become the best Michigan casino. Read all about it here in our complete guide to Michigan online casinos and sports betting.
March Madness Leads to a Surge in Online Sports Betting Numbers in Michigan
March Madness led to a thriving month in Michigan as people rushed to engage in online sports betting. Since Michigan online sports betting has become legal in the state, the upward trend puts Michigan on the same list with other leading states where online gambling is legal such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
According to information released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board on Tuesday, MI online betting operators recorded a total of $359.5 million in sports betting handle in March. It was a 19.1% increase compared to the previous month, the first month of Michigan online sports betting.
The operators also saw an increase in Michigan online betting revenue due to the men’s NCAA Tournament. In February, the operators collected $9.5 million, which increased to $32.3 million in March. The state, of course, benefited in tax as it collected more revenue.
Michigan taxes online sports betting at 8.4%. The state raised $535,930 in taxes last month. It was an increase from $142,240 in February. Revenue from taxes is predicted to increase since operators offer free bets and fewer promotions; these are easily written off.
In Detroit, the three commercial casinos recorded a total of $24.2 million in retail sports betting handle in March. They also paid $112,272 to the state as taxes and $137,221 to Detroit.
In the meantime, Michigan online casino gaming numbers continue to surge. MI casino operators saw a $95.1 million in revenue collected in March, which equates to a 19.3% increase from February. Since Michigan online gaming is taxed at about 20-28%, contingent on yearly adjusted gross receipts, $17.3 million was collected in tax revenue last month from MI online casinos.
Richard Kalm, MGCB executive director, pointed out that March Madness contributed to the booming Michigan sports betting handle as there was a 19.1% increase compared to February. He also added that Michigan online gaming increased in popularity as monthly adjusted gross receipts also increase 18% from February. The effect of this was an increase in taxes and payments. It implies that more funds were available for the City of Detroit, economic development, K-12 education, and tribal communities, he indicated.
At the moment, 11 operators are offering MI online casinos and online sports betting. Only PointsBet offers sports betting. The best performing operator was FanDuel, leading Michigan with $107.2 million in sports betting handle. BetMGM came in next with $92.6 million.
Playtech First Move to Introduce Live MI Casino Studio in Michigan
Playtech, one of the world’s top-ranked gambling technology companies, announced today that it had closed a long-term lease contract for its first Live Casino studio in the highly lucrative US sports betting market. It means it will be providing one of the biggest live entertainment studios in the region. This live casino will first be launched in the Great Lakes state and will undoubtedly compete to become one of the best Michigan casinos online.
The state-of-the-art entertainment studio will bring into the picture Playtech’s sophisticated technology and video capabilities from its other flagship known as Riga studio. The company’s scale implies integrating live content across online and retail channels and across other product verticals. It also means that it will deliver one of the best Michigan casinos and other states with live iGaming entertainment in the US market. The new studio will deliver personalized areas for networked operator tables and dedicated tables backed by an opportunity to advance and offer support to Playtech’s intended US expansion.
The newly introduced live casino studio is located in Southfield, an area that is quickly taking over as Michigan’s best technology and innovation hub. What’s more, this area sits as an approved area by the Michigan regulator. Besides bringing in the best iGaming gameshow content to the region, the studio will also create local employment opportunities for Southfield’s community.
The launching of Playtech’s first live entertainment studio in the US is the latest milestone in the company’s roadmap as the best technology supplier working to deliver top-notch software and services to all US states which are regulated. This news comes just after the announcement of a strategic partnership in February to offer Parx Casino a diverse range of products across Playtech’s IMS platform. This partnership will also kick off with the launch of the studio in a Michigan casino.
The Chief Operating Offer at Playtech, Shimon Akad, pointed out that the new studio to be launched in a Michigan online casino will be one of the many steps in venturing into the US Live expansion. He added that the company looks to deliver live studios in all US-regulated states. The Michigan casino studio is designed to provide one of the best-innovated studios tailored to the US market to ensure the iGaming experience is taken to the next level.
Akad also mentioned that the company prides itself as being a key player in ensuring that local employment opportunities are offered to the community. It is a move that will ensure the company offers the much support needed during the pandemic, he added.
Gun Lake Casino Rolls Out Plans for a $300 Million Expansion
The Gun Lake Casino in Michigan and the Gun Lake Tribe revealed their plans for a $300M project that will expand the casino close to Wayland into a hotel with a diverse range of amenities.
According to a news release, the project expansion of this MI casino will stand as the most significant expansion to date of a brick and mortar Michigan casino.
Since launching in 2011, this MI casino has gone through several expansions. A $100M expansion is set to be completed this summer. This expansion will lead to a 76,000 square foot addition. According to the news release, the $300M expansion will be initiated after that project is completed.
Still, the press release points out that the $300M expansion will bring in an additional 250,000 square feet and make it a contender to become one of the best Michigan casinos, and it will extend the premises west toward US 131.
The expansion also includes a 250-key, a full-service spa, 4-diamond hotel luxury suits, and a meal restaurant.
Moreover, besides nightlife entertainment space, there will be a fully enclosed glass-domed pool. The press release states that the expansion will offer a climate and an atmosphere similar to an island oasis throughout the year. Guests will enjoy reserving private cabanas. They will also take advantage of the beautiful pool and hot tub by day. At night, live music will be played.
The chief operating officer at Gun Lake Casino, Sal Semola, asserted that the expansion is a move to ensure that the casino maintains its reputation as the leading gaming and entertainment hub in Michigan. He added that the MI casino acknowledges its ability to play an essential role in investing in the local community. The addition of amenities will help in driving the local economy through tourism. Moreover, the lives of people within the region stand to benefit through employment opportunities.
Bob Peters, the Gun Lake Tribal Chairman, indicated that the development and growth of the casino are hinged on the remarkable efforts of the existing team members. He also added that the casino looks to provide more job opportunities.
