Rush Street Interactive is set to offer sports betting in Michigan in partnership with one of the state’s tribes.
Rush Street Interactive (RSI) has announced a deal to offer land-based and online sports wagering in partnership with the Little River Casino Resort in Michigan.
The Little River Casino Resort is operated by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.
This news comes after DraftKings secured entry into Michigan’s sports betting market via a deal with Bay Mills Resort & Casino.
What is covered in the deal?
Under the agreement, RSI will become the service provider for a new on-site sportsbook at the Little River venue which is expected to open in the third quarter of the year.
The deal also allows for the launch of a co-branded online sports betting and online casino product when state regulations allow for it. Michigan’s residents can sign-up on the BetRivers site to be notified when online betting goes live in the state.
In May, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) began the process of accepting online gaming supplier licence applications.
Little River Casino Resort general manager Andrew Gentile said: “The successful track record of Rush Street Interactive as a provider of in-casino sportsbooks in Pennsylvania, New York and Illinois, was very significant to us when we chose them as our partner.
“Rush Street’s ability to provide a road map of how they’ve enabled other land-based casinos to operate market-leading sportsbooks kept us from having to reinvent the wheel.”
RSI president Richard Schwartz said: “Being only a lakeshore away in Chicago, the RSI team views this partnership as an opportunity to help bring a property-wide lift to Little Rivers Casino Resort—from slots to tables to restaurants—thanks to the tremendous and growing popularity of sports wagering.”
Sports betting in Michigan
On 20 December 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed HB 916 into law, creating the Lawful Sports Betting Act. Under this law, commercial and tribal casinos can offer land-based and online sports betting in Michigan.
Governor Whitmer also signed HB 4308 into law, legalizing fantasy sports contests in the state of Michigan.
HB 4311 was also signed into law, creating the Lawful Internet Gaming Act. Under this law, mobile and online casino gambling is now legal in the state of Michigan. Under the law, the MGCB was granted the power to issue licenses for online and mobile casino gambling.
Michigan’s sports wagering market went live on March 11 with the opening of sportsbooks at Penn National Gaming’s Greektown Casino and the MGM Grand Detroit. Online and mobile sports wagering has yet to go live in the state of Michigan.
In the first few days of legal sports betting in Michigan, land-based sportsbooks generated a combined revenue of $105,548.
