Live Dealer Finds Its Way To Third Michigan Online Casino Via William Hill Deal

Make it three partners for Evolution Gaming in Michigan.

The live casino company signed with a third operator in the Great Lakes State, announcing a pact with William Hill’s online casino in Michigan on Friday.

The deal is for William Hill’s entire US market, which will include Michigan for online sports betting and casino after the state launches online gambling later this year.

Evolution had previously landed deals with PointsBet and BetMGM to bring its online casino games to Michigan.

Live dealer casino games and Michigan online gambling

Live dealer games simulate the experience of sitting in a live casino, though you don’t have to drive to a casino (or risk your health) to play the game.

In effect, live dealer games bring the casino experience into your home. Online casino games, in general, can move quickly, but live casino moves slower and has more interaction.

Live dealer games at Evolution include the traditional roulette, blackjack and baccarat. But Evolution also offers unique game show-style casino games such as Crazy Live and Monopoly Live.

According to the announcement, William Hill will launch Evolution games in New Jersey before Michigan or any other state.

In New Jersey, more operators offer live casino games than not. Live dealer play has been around in NJ since 2016. With PointsBet and BetMGM under its belt, Evolution is lining up a similar presence in Michigan.

Because of a requirement in Michigan’s proposed rules, though, casino offerings such as live dealer games might be rolled out a little slower here.

In-state requirement will slow down live casino

As it is done in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Michigan requires live dealer studios to be built inside the state. This means the studios that are up and running on the East Coast won’t be available for use when online casinos launch here.

Thankfully for Evolution, William Hill has a perfect spot for such a studio in northwest Michigan.

Evolution acquired NetEnt over the summer and since then has signaled its intent to come into Michigan in a big way.

NetEnt is a leading online slots company. Live dealer games are one of Evolution’s specialties. Combined, the company is the biggest supplier of online casino games.

Evolution Gaming did submit a supplier license with the Michigan Gaming Control Board but has not yet been approved.

How William Hill online casino gets into Michigan

William Hill has access to Michigan through a partnership with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.

Through it, the company recently launched a William Hill sportsbook at Turtle Creek Casino near Traverse City. There’s also a satellite location with betting kiosks at Leelanau Sands Casino in Peshawbestown up the Leelanau Peninsula.

“We are very proud to have been selected by William Hill US,” said Johan Nordstrom, Evolution’s chief executive officer for Malta and chief commercial officer, in a news release.

“Our Live Casino solutions have been instrumental in helping to make William Hill’s Live Casino a stand-out offering in regulated European markets. We very much look forward to achieving the same high levels of success for William Hill in the United States.”

There is no timeline for William Hill online casino to launch in Michigan, at least not yet. That being said, its game library is shaping up to be fairly robust.