Michigan sports betting 2020: Latest on legal gambling options

In mid-December 2019, the "Lawful Sports Betting Act" was passed by the Michigan legislature and on Dec. 20, 2019, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed it into law to legalize sports wagering in the Great Lakes State. Michigan became the second-biggest state in the Midwest to do so behind Illinois.

Michigan Sports Betting Legislation

The "Lawful Sports Betting Act" gives the state the ability to give sports betting operating licenses to businesses that already have/had casino licenses as well as Native American tribes that offer/offered gaming through their casinos.

Both in-person and mobile/online betting is allowed, but online gaming may not be ready until 2021 because the Michigan Gaming Board has to set up new regulations for that. Although, recently there has been a push to get it ready by fall in the wake of COVID-19 forcing casinos to shut their doors for months and the state facing a major budget deficit. Online bettors must be inside state lines.

The Michigan Department of Treasury estimates legalized sports betting will bring in $19 million in new revenue to the state once the mobile version is active. Sports betting revenue is taxed at 8.4 percent, but commercial casinos in Detroit pay an additional 1.25 percent city tax. Most of the money will go toward the School Aid Fund.

Online Gambling Michigan Laws

Rep. Brandt Iden (R-Portage) from Kalamazoo County spent four-and-a-half years trying to get lawmakers to pass his sports betting bill. The law officially went into action at 1 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 11, just ahead of the theoretical start of the 2020 Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Iden was among the first to make a wager at the MGM Grand Detroit Casino and Greektown Casino, putting down $100 on Michigan State to win the men's Big Ten Basketball Tournament. Alas, that was canceled due to the coronavirus as was the Big Dance. Former Detroit Lions legendary running back Barry Sanders, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, made the first wager at MotorCity Casino's FanDuel Sportsbook, dropping $20 on his Lions at +6600 to win Super Bowl 55.

There are three commercial casinos in Detroit and more than 20 tribal versions around the state as of this writing. Casinos that will offer sports betting online are restricted to offering only one brand each. For example, MGM Grand Detroit will have BetMGM as its online platform.

The state-licensed casinos in Michigan have a minimum age limit of 21 to bet. However, some tribal casinos will allow players as young as 18 as each tribe is considered a sovereign nation. Betting on in-state NCAA schools is allowed as are various prop bets, etc.

Michigan Sports Wagering

On Thursday, the Detroit Tigers became the first team in Major League Baseball – and certainly won't be the last – to partner with an online sportsbook as the team announced a multi-year partnership PointsBet. The book will be allowed to have visible advertising at Comerica Park, on the team's radio network and across the Tigers' digital platforms.

There will be no betting kiosks in the park, however (eventually surely there will be). In addition, MLB rules prohibit sportsbook sponsors from overtly advertising odds.

It could be a while before Michiganders see a professional championship in their state.

The Tigers' last World Series title was that epic 1984 team, and they are in a full-blown rebuild as one of MLB's worst teams the past three seasons. They will be again in 2020.

The Lions are one of four active NFL franchises to never play in a Super Bowl and have little chance of ending that streak next February in Super Bowl 55. Perhaps a pseudo-change in ownership will turn that franchise around.

The Red Wings' incredible streak of 25 straight seasons reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs ended in 2017 – they last won the Cup in 2008 -- and the Wings have had a losing record every year since. In fact, they had the fewest points in the NHL in the 2019-20 season yet weren't able to win the draft lottery despite a league-high 18.5 percent chance of doing so. They will pick fourth in the 2020 NHL Draft.

There were 22 teams invited to Orlando for the restart of the 2019-20 NBA regular season, but the Pistons weren't one of them with a 20-46 record. The Pistons last won a title in 2004 and have missed the playoffs nine times in the past 11 seasons (including this one). They are miles away from championship contention too.