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Legal Sports Betting Expected To Go Live on Wednesday

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) announced Friday (3/6) that Detroit’s three casinos will likely be allowed to offer sports gambling beginning at 1 p.m.Wednesday, March 11.  The Board is anticipated to give final approval on Tuesday after presentations by the three Detroit commercial casinos at its public meeting at Cadillac Place in Detroit. All preliminary requirements have been met to go live the next day, the Board said.

Michigan’s Legislature voted to legalize sports betting and internet gambling late last year.

“With just 11 weeks to prepare, MGCB staff worked hard to make the launch of onsite sports betting at the Detroit casinos possible by March Madness,” said Richard S. Kalm, MGCB executive director. “The casinos and their suppliers helped us by their timely efforts to share information we needed to authorize the gaming. 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.”

The implementation Wednesday applies only to on-site gaming in Detroit. The MGCB will not regulate onsite sports wagering at Michigan’s tribal casinos. The tribal casinos will announce their launch of onsite sports betting individually. MGCB staff continues to develop administrative rules for online sports betting, online casino gaming and fantasy sports. The rules should be final by early 2021.

MotorCity Casino Hotel, MGM Grand Detroit and Greektown Casino-Hotel have been building out sports books in anticipation of the NCAA basketball tournament which begins March 17. .

Sports betting revenue tax in Michigan is set at 8.4 percent, plus 1.25 percent in city taxes for Detroit’s casinos. The Michigan Department of Treasury said it expects legalized sports and online gambling to bring in $19 million of new yearly revenue for the state.

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