When is Sports Betting Coming to Michigan?

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 made life difficult in the United States for those who wanted to enjoy a wager on sport. Sports betting was essentially made illegal under the act other than in a few states. However, on the 14th of May 2018 that changed thanks to the United States Supreme Court, who declared the entire law unconstitutional.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 was still in place but in terms of general sports betting, the ball was firmly placed into the court of each individual State. Many states, such as Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have wasted little time and now offer a full range of betting activities legally for residents.

What is the deal for other states, such as Michigan? More specifically, when is sports betting coming to Michigan?

Perhaps the question should be ‘when did sports betting come to Michigan?’ as it is now possible to enjoy placing wagers on sporting events in the state. However, sports betting in Michigan is still in the early stages having commenced on the 11th of March 2020. Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the "Lawful Sports Betting Act" into law just three months earlier and having done so, it was only a matter of time until sports betting became available.

As is the case throughout the United States, anyone who places a bet on sport in Michigan must be 21 years of age or older. Two land-based Casinos led the way in terms of sports betting in Michigan, with Detroit based casinos Greektown Casino and the MGM Grand opening sportsbooks on their premises. It did not take long for others to follow suit and the following day Motor City Casino also offered sports betting facilities to their customers.

That's great news for Michigan residents who have been waiting a long time to place legal wagers on sporting events. In terms of online sports betting, it is going to arrive in the state of Michigan but it may not be until 2021 as betting companies set up their websites and mobile sports betting apps.

You only have to look at sportsbooks in Colorado to get an understanding of what is going to happen in Michigan in the near future. Since the 1st of May 2020, online sportsbooks and mobile betting apps have opened for business and accepted online bets in Colorado. Initially, there were four sportsbooks and betting apps that went live in Colorado but others are closely following behind to offer residents in the state a wealth of online sports wagering options.

If we look back to when land-based sports betting was legalized in Colorado, it took over six months before online sports betting became available in the state. So, with sports betting becoming legal and having commenced at the beginning of March 2020 in Michigan, it makes sense that online sportsbooks will follow towards the end of the year and into 2021.