Four Winds Casino Opening Michigan’s Second Tribal Sportsbook Monday

Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo will open Michigan’s second tribal casino sportsbook on Monday morning.

Chicago Bears legend Steve McMichael will place the ceremonial first bet at the southwest Michigan casino at 10 a.m.

Four Winds partnered with Kambi for its sportsbook technology, announcing the move last week.

Four Winds will follow FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek as the state’s only tribal casinos so far to open sportsbooks. FireKeepers opened its Dacey’s Sportsbook last month.

More Four Winds sportsbooks coming to Michigan

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, one of Michigan’s 12 federally recognized Native American tribes, operates Four Winds.

Kambi will install its suite of on-property sports betting products in the flagship New Buffalo location, as well as at smaller casinos in Dowagiac and Hartford, with an online launch to follow.

Michigan sports betting apps is still months away, perhaps in October.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board is accepting license applications for internet sports betting operators.

Four Winds and FireKeepers will be the only places in Michigan to make legal sports bets next week. Detroit casinos opened three retail sportsbooks in March, but they closed five days later because of the COVID-19 pandemic and remain shuttered.

Kambi also powers the temporary sportsbook at Greektown Casino in Detroit.

Four Winds has a fourth casino in South Bend, IN, though no announcements have been made about sportsbook partners or openings there.

Will McMichael look to NFL’s Week 1 for opening bet?

McMichael, commonly known by his nickname Mongo, is an interesting choice for a ceremonial first bet.

The Super Bowl champion has been a visible presence since his playing days, trying his hand at professional wrestling and also football commentary.

Southwest Michigan is a convenient vacation destination for Chicagoland residents, but it’s also still in Michigan.

You might’ve thought Four Winds would pair Mongo with a Michigan athlete to balance things out.

To drive that point home, McMichael could look at an interesting Week 1 NFL betting matchup for his initial wager: The Bears are scheduled to visit the Detroit Lions in the Sept. 13 opener.

Either way, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois residents will soon have another sports betting option just a short drive away.