An Inside Look At Day 1 Of Legal Sports Betting In Michigan

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Justin Ptak, being a lifelong metro Detroit resident, is well aware that the Detroit sports teams are currently facing a streak of disappointments.

That is precisely why, on Wednesday afternoon at Greektown Casino, just after 1 p.m., the resident of Wyandotte, Mich. made an unconventional decision. He opted to place a sports bet against his hometown team, combining the Philadelphia 76ers (-11) with the over (212.0) for their upcoming game against the Pistons later that night.

Ptak expressed his enthusiasm for the atmosphere and energy surrounding it, emphasizing that the anticipation has been building for quite some time. He believes that this development will greatly benefit Michigan, especially with the addition of mobile betting.

With Michigan becoming the 16th state to legalize sports betting, casinos are placing their bets on the likelihood of attracting more fans like Ptak to downtown areas.

On Wednesday, MGM Grand and Greektown celebrated the official opening of legal sports wagering with ceremonies. Meanwhile, MotorCity Casino announced that it will open its sportsbook on Thursday morning, becoming the third Detroit operation to do so.

In December, Governor Gretchen Whitmer approved gambling expansion bills, and on Tuesday, the Michigan Gaming Control Board granted final approval for the three Detroit casinos to begin accepting onsite bets starting from Wednesday. However, internet casinos and mobile sports betting are expected to be implemented at a later stage, most likely in 2021. It is important to note that the state’s 22 tribal casinos operate independently of MGCB regulations and are currently making preparations to open their own sportsbooks this year.

Despite the current struggles of the Lions, Pistons, Red Wings, and Tigers, the three Detroit casinos managed to bring in some beloved local sports icons to grace their grand openings.

Greektown Casino

Fortunately, it wasn’t an actual wager, as former Michigan State basketball standout Mateen Cleaves, Lions icon Lem Barney, and Pistons public address announcer John Mason defied all expectations.

The three individuals were involved in a ceremonial bet, placing their hopes on the Lions to win the Super Bowl in the upcoming season, despite the unfavorable odds of +6600. This regrettable wager is likely to be talked about in the state for years to come.

John Drake, the general manager of Greektown Casino, expressed his excitement about the resurgence happening in Detroit and the presence of multiple teams in the area. He believes that the addition of these teams is another reason for the city to be thrilled.

Despite the absence of any noticeable Barstool branding, Greektown Casino opened its temporary 5,000-square foot sportsbook, where employees donned “Greektown Casino + Barstool Sports” T-shirts.

In January, Penn National Gaming, the owners of Greektown, acquired a share in Barstool with the intention of promoting their sportsbooks alongside the popular men’s lifestyle brand. As part of this collaboration, a permanent sportsbook, bearing the Barstool name, will be established at the heart of Greektown’s casino floor in time for the football season. Following its grand opening, the temporary space will be transformed into a VIP section and serve as an overflow area.

On Wednesday, a new feature was introduced called the mobile Bet Builder. This allows fans to conveniently build a bet from any location by either scanning a QR code or visiting the website www.greektowncasino.com/casino/sportsbook. Once the bet is created, users can then scan a QR code at a kiosk or betting window to play it.

MGM Grand Detroit

A group of former Michigan athletes, including NFL star Jerome Bettis, Lions’ Lomas Brown, boxer Tommy Hearns, Red Wings’ Dino Ciccarelli, Tigers’ Dave Rozema, and Pistons’ James Edwards, were warmly welcomed by MGM as they were treated to a grand reception, complete with a red carpet, on Wednesday.

At the eleventh hour, Detroit’s Mayor Mike Duggan unexpectedly called off his attendance for the event, which aimed to celebrate the official rebranding of Moneyline Sports Lounge as BetMGM Sportsbook.

Matt Prevost, the chief marketing officer for Roar Digital, which manages BetMGM’s systems, expressed his belief that Detroit is currently experiencing a renaissance. He highlighted the proximity of four teams within a four-block radius from their property, emphasizing that this creates an excellent atmosphere for sports betting engagement.

“This state is crazy about sports.”

Following the commencement, there was a consistent flow of traffic at BetMGM’s seven ticket windows and 15 self-serve kiosks located outside the lounge.

On Wednesday, Aaron Coburn from Eastpointe engaged with an attendant at the kiosk to familiarize himself with various betting options. They examined basketball and football wagers but refrained from placing any bets at that time.

Coburn, a regular visitor at the casino, expressed his satisfaction, saying, “I’m pleased that they have introduced this because I would love to place bets on the games. It’s an additional attraction that will further entice me to come and engage in playing.”

MotorCity Casino

FanDuel has been confirmed as the sportsbook partner for MotorCity Casino, as initially reported by Legal Sports Report last week.

The casino made an announcement that they will be launching at 10 a.m. on Thursday, with the special participation of Lions Hall of Famer Barry Sanders as the ceremonial first bettor.

The partnership announcement highlighted that FanDuel, operating the sportsbook operations, will provide the FanDuel facility with six betting windows, 67 televisions, and 54 self-serve kiosks powered by IGT PlaySports. This allows bettors to place wagers on the Tigers and Red Wings, owned by the Ilitch family, who are also the owners of MotorCity Casino.

On Wednesday, the casino was in the process of adding final touches to the two-story facility that will take the place of the former Chromatics Lounge and Spectators bars.

Later on Thursday during the Red Wings’ 7 p.m. game at Washington, MotorCity revealed that Darren McCarty and Joey Kocur, former Red Wings players, would be the esteemed guests of honor at the sportsbook.

Ptak, an avid sports fan, found a glimmer of hope amidst the misfortunes of Detroit sports, reflecting the prevailing optimism that permeated the entire city. Similarly, Coburn shared Ptak’s sentiment and expressed his willingness to support betting against the local teams.

Coburn expressed, “Detroit does not emerge victorious. If they continue this pattern, I will certainly become wealthy.”

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