Michigan Online Poker News
Online poker launched in Michigan Friday morning after state regulators approved a gaming license for the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians.
The tribe, which runs Odawa Casino in Petoskey, partnered with PokerStars to operate online poker in Michigan. With the Michigan Gaming Control Board officially giving them an online license, PokerStars launched its Michigan platform at 11 a.m., according to a report from The Detroit News.
Along with the tribe, the board awarded licenses to Detroit’s Greektown Casino, which partnered with Penn Gaming’s Barstool Sportsbook & Casino to offer online gambling. Fox Bet, PokerStars’ sports betting platform, also launched with the license given to the Odawa Indians.
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Michigan’s online gambling market launched last week, but the operators who received licenses did not have an online poker platform or a partner with one, leaving the initial launch reserved for other online casino games and sports betting.
PokerStars is the only operator in Michigan so far. BetMGM Poker, which has an obvious partnership with the MGM Detroit, could be the second to launch.
PokerStars now has operations in New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania. With the recent ruling on the Wire Act, which allowed for most forms of interstate online gambling, and Gov. Whitmer signing a bill that would allow for online operators to join shared player pools, it opens a very real possibility for Stars to combine its player pools in all three states.
That law has not gone into effect yet, however, and would also need an agreement from the other states involved before it is launched.
Pennsylvania regulators were reportedly awaiting a ruling on the Wire Act before allowing operators from its state to join shared player pools. Some media outlets have reported that Michigan regulators are already in talks with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and could see a compact between the states by the end of 2021.
Kevin Mathers, the information coordinator for PokerAtlas, tweeted screenshots of the site’s platform shortly after the initial launch.
An early look at action on PokerStars Michigan, courtesy of @Bishop847pic.twitter.com/6WYx8CNM8C
— Kevin Mathers (@Kevmath) January 29, 2021
About an hour after its rollout, there were no-limit hold’em cash games running at the $.01-$.02, $.25-$.50 and $.50-$1 stakes. Tables were available all the way up to $25-$50, but nobody was sitting. There were also several tournaments scheduled for the first day of operation, with buy-ins ranging from $3 to $30.
After a long wait, Michigan residents will be able to gamble online later this week.
State gaming regulators announced Tuesday that nine brick-and-mortar casinos will be allowed to launch online platforms at noon on Friday. Most of those nine platforms will be offering both online casino games and online sports betting.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill into law in December 2019 that would allow the three Detroit commercial casinos and the 23 tribal casinos scattered throughout the rest of the state to offer online gambling of all forms. Nine of those properties, including all three Detroit casinos, were approved for licenses so far, but that number will increase as regulators continue to finalize applications.
Legal Online Poker In Michigan
“Michigan residents love sports and, judging by inquiries we’ve received, eagerly anticipate using mobile devices to place bets through the commercial and tribal casinos,” Gaming Control Board Executive Director Richard Kalm told a local ABC affiliate. “Online gaming and sports betting will provide the casinos with new ways to engage with customers while the state and local communities will benefit from taxes and payments on wagering revenue.”
Operators will pay the state government 8.4% on sports betting revenue and between 20% and 28% on online gambling revenue. Detroit casinos will pay an additional fee to the city on top of the already existing tax structure.
The reports surrounding the announcement are unclear, but it appears that online poker will not be a part of the initial rollout on Friday.
A year ago, PokerStars’ parent company, Flutter, secured a partnership with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, which gave the online poker giant an opportunity to offer online poker in Michigan. The tribe was not among the first nine applications to get the green light for Friday.
Of the online poker operators, PokerStars is the only company currently operating in multiple states with platforms in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. MGM Grand Detroit, which has a natural partnership with BetMGM, was approved and operates as part of the partypoker US network in New Jersey, but there was no mention of a poker launch from any of those companies.
Pokerstars Michigan
There was a similar lag in Pennsylvania. The legislature passed a bill legalizing all forms of online gambling in 2017 with online sportsbooks and casinos launching in the spring of 2019. Online poker, however, wasn’t available until PokerStars rolled out its product in November.