Michigan now has a full complement of 15 internet gaming and sports betting providers with the authorization of Eagle Casino and Sports.
Michigan iGaming regulators authorized the Saginaw Chippewa tribe to begin offering online casino gaming and sports betting at its Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) said the tribe’s gaming company, Soaring Eagle Gaming, will operate a platform powered by GAN under the Eagle Casino and Sports brand. The MGCB said the tribe has met the regulatory requirements for licensure and that online casino gaming and sports betting are both live.
“Michigan now has a full complement of 15 internet gaming and sports betting providers with the authorization of Eagle Casino and Sports,” said MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams. “All of Michigan’s federally recognized tribes are offering internet gaming and sports betting. I congratulate the Saginaw Chippewa tribe as they expand their gaming offerings.”
Before Soaring Eagle, the last casino to receive authorization in Michigan was Gun Lake Casino, which the MGCB said could start accepting online sports wagers on August 2, 2021. Gun Lake, which is owned and operated by the Gun Lake Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan, launched its online casino with Parx Interactive on April 23, 2021.
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The Largest Tribal Casino in Michigan
The addition of Soaring Eagle to the ranks of tribal casinos authorized to offer online gaming is significant because it is the largest Class III tribal casino in Michigan.
According to the MGCB’s Indian Gaming Annual Report for 2020, the most recent report available, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe contributed about $5.3 million in shared revenue to the state, the highest amount paid by a tribe that year.
That’s slightly more than the $4.9 million that the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, which owns and operates FireKeepers Casino, paid the state in 2020. MGCB data show FireKeepers had about $1.1 million in internet gaming revenue in February, the most recent month with figures available.
Three commercial casinos in Detroit compete with the 12 tribes that collectively own and operate 24 Class III casinos. The three commercial facilities are Greektown Casino-Hotel, MGM Grand Detroit, and MotorCity Casino — which partner with Barstool, BetMGM Casino, and FanDuel, respectively.
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Tribal Casino Partnerships
The MGCB does not regulate the tribal casinos, but it does have oversight authority to make sure the tribes are in compliance with gaming compacts between the tribes and the state.
Besides Soaring Eagle, the other 11 partnerships and their platform providers are:
- Bay Mills Indian Community — DraftKings, at the Bay Mills Resort & Casino
- Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi — NYX Digital, at FireKeepers Casino
- Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians — Pala Interactive, at the Four Winds Casinos
- Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Potawatomi Indians — Parx Casino, at the Gun Lake Casino
- Hannahville Indian Community — TwinSpires, at Island Resort & Casino
- Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians — WynnBET, at the Kewadin Casinos
- Little River Band of Ottawa Indians — BetRivers, at Little River Casino Resort
- Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians — PointsBet, at Northern Waters Casino Resort
- Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians — PokerStars (for online casino and poker) and FOX Bet (sports betting), at the Odawa Casinos
- Keweenaw Bay Indian Community — Golden Nugget, at Ojibwa Casino
- Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians — WSOP (for real money online poker in Michigan) and Caesars (casino and sports betting), at Turtle Creek Casino
Learn more in our comprehensive Michigan Online Casino Reviews and Sports Betting in Michigan Reviews