All 25 Michigan casinos plan sports betting; here's when they'll start
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the target date for FireKeepers in Battle Creek; the casino plans a late spring opening for its sports book.
Detroit — Months in the making, live sports betting is scheduled to begin at two downtown casinos at 1 p.m. Wednesday, with the state's other 23 casinos expected to all follow suit within the year.
The state's gambling board recently issued final regulatory approval, and MGM Grand Detroit and Greektown are planning to accept sports wagers the first minute possible. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation late last year making Michigan the 20th state to allow sports betting.
MGM Grand will host a VIP reception starting Wednesday morning at its MoneyLine Sports Lounge, which has been open for months as a placeholder for when sports betting could begin.
MGM Grand plans to have 16 self-service kiosks throughout the casino, including several just outside Moneyline, as well as live ticket windows. The kiosks will open 24/7, and Moneyline, featuring 60 TVs and a bar (food is planned eventually), daily from 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Detroit mayor Mike Duggan, former Red Wing Dino Ciccarelli, former Piston James "Buddha" Edwards, former Tiger Dave Rozema and Detroit boxing legend Tommy Hearns will be at the MGM Grand ceremony.
At Greektown, plans call for the Sportsbook at Greektown, located on the upper level near Trappers Bar, with hours from 9 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Greektown plans 40 kiosks throughout the two-level gaming space. Unlike at MGM, the kiosks had not been installed as of early Tuesday afternoon, but there were several workers constructing something near Trappers.
MotorCity has not yet announced plans to start taking sports bets. It could be a more complicated situation, given the owner is Marian Ilitch, whose family owns the Red Wings and Tigers.
Online sports betting won't begin until 2021.
The state has 22 others casinos, all tribal, and all of whom are preparing to apply for live sports betting licenses, which cost $150,000, plus $50,000 per year. The licenses take two to three months to secure.
The News reached out to the tribal casinos to find out their plans for starting sports betting.
►Bay Mills Resort & Casino, Brimley: Around July
►FireKeepers Casino Hotel, Battle Creek: Late spring
►Four Winds Dowagiac: No public timetable
►Four Winds Hartford: No public timetable
►Four Winds New Buffalo: No public timetable
►Gun Lake Casino, Wayland: TBA, to be "phased in"
►Island Resort & Casino, Bark River: No public timetable
►Kewadin Casino Christmas: No public timetable
►Kewadin Casino Hessel: No public timetable
►Kewadin Casino Manistique: No public timetable
►Kewadin Casino, Hotel and Convention Center, Sault Sainte Marie: No public timetable
►Kewadin Shores Casino St. Ignace: No public timetable
►Kings Club Casino, Brimley: Around July
►Leelanau Sands Casino, Suttons Bay: Fall, before football season
►Little River Casino and Resort, Manistee: "Coming soon"
►Northern Waters Casino Resort, Watersmeet: "Coming soon"
►Odawa Casino Resort, Petoskey: No public timetable
►Ojibwa Casino, Baraga: No public timetable
►Ojibwa Casino, Marquette: No public timetable
►Saganing Eagles Landing Casino, Standish: Early spring
►Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mt. Pleasant: Early spring
►Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel, Williamsburg: Fall, before football season
tpaul@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tonypaul1984