FireKeepers Casino Launches Online Sports Betting, Casino Products In Michigan

FireKeepers Casino has been approved to become Michigan’s 14th online gambling operator on Monday, and the operator launched in the middle of the day.

The opening, announced Monday morning by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, occurred at about noon EST for online sports betting and internet casino gaming through platform provider NYX Digital, a subsidiary of Scientific Games.

Rather than contract with an outside, national brand, FireKeepers is instead leaning on the nearly 12 years of brand reputation across the state.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide another level of entertainment to the people of Michigan,” said Kathy George, FireKeepers CEO, in a news release. “Guests can now enjoy the FireKeepers experience from the comfort of their own homes, or wherever they are within the state of Michigan.”

Firekeepers has 73 casino games, sports betting available now

There is a FireKeepers iCasino & Sports app in the App Store through Apple. The platform is available through a link from the casino’s website. The site also has a link for Android users.

FireKeepers has a strong start for offerings at launch, with 67 slots and six table games (including one video poker game) for a total of 73 games. That total amounts to more than what three Michigan competitors already offer, with more expected in time. A news release about the launch touted 88 Fortunes, QuickHits and Monopoly as featured slot titles.

The sportsbook has several sports up for wagers, including baseball, basketball, football, golf, MMA, motorsports, soccer and tennis. There’s a #trending section with the most popular events, including Wednesday’s Game 4 of the NBA Finals, for which there are 50 different bets available.

FireKeepers is 14th Michigan operator to launch online

The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians is the state’s 13th operator to launch both online sports betting and online casino, as Play Gun Lake (a 14th operator) is just a casino platform for now.

“We welcome the addition of FireKeepers Casino and partner NYX Digital to Michigan’s growing online gaming and sports wagering market,” said MGCB executive director Henry Williams in a news release from the board. “The tribe’s representatives provided key support for development of the laws signed in 2019 that allow federally recognized tribes in Michigan to seek licenses for internet casino gaming and online sports betting. Their participation will generate revenue to support K-12 education, economic development and the Nottawaseppi Huron Band’s tribal community.”

FireKeepers Casino Hotel was the first Michigan tribal casino to launch retail sports betting last summer in Battle Creek. Deposits for online accounts can be made on site at the Battle Creek casino.

There’s a lot going on at the casino this summer, as George has been leading a period of growth, which includes the ongoing construction of the hotel’s second tower.

Michigan waiting on Soaring Eagle as state’s 15th online brand

Soaring Eagle Casino is now the state’s lone casino licensee to not have any online products launched. Online gambling launched Jan. 22 in Michigan.

Soaring Eagle is partnered with GAN for its online products.

Operators of FireKeepers, Soaring Eagle and Four Winds Casino, which launched online gambling in February, are the only ones of Michigan’s 12 federally recognized tribes that plan to launch self-branded products.

Through May, state online operators had raised $393.9 million in internet gaming revenue and had reported processing $1.26 billion in sports betting handle.

Scientific Games announced recently it was getting out of the sports betting and internet lottery businesses, meaning NYX Digital is potentially up for sale.