Bet365 Launches in Michigan with Casino and Sportsbook

Bet365 launched online casino and sports betting operations in Michigan on April 17, 2026, taking over the licence vacated by PokerStars and becoming the state’s newest dual-vertical operator.

MGCB Approval and Tribal Partnership

The Michigan Gaming Control Board approved Hillside Michigan LLC, trading as bet365, as the internet gaming and internet sports betting platform provider for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, operator of the Odawa Casino in Petoskey. The entry fills a gap left when PokerStars exited the state on April 1, with its operations folding into FanDuel Casino under Flutter Entertainment’s broader US restructuring.

MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said the approval reflects the board’s focus on integrity, transparency, and consumer protection in the state’s online gaming marketplace.

Michigan is bet365’s 17th active sports betting state and only its third for online casino, joining New Jersey — where it launched in 2019 — and Pennsylvania, where it went live in July 2024. The simultaneous dual-vertical launch is uncommon in the US market. Trip Stoddard, bet365’s Head of Business Development, said the integrated model is central to the operator’s US strategy.

“We’re excited to bring bet365 to Michigan and introduce a better way to bet. This is a mature market with knowledgeable fans, and we’re confident our product stands apart. Features like our Early Payout offer, combined with our in-play experience and integrated casino, give players more ways to engage and more reasons to choose bet365.”

Michigan Market Context

Michigan’s online casino market is one of the most competitive in the US. The state surpassed $300 million in gross iGaming revenue for the first time in December 2025, partly driven by Hard Rock’s debut that month. Michigan’s adjusted gross revenue of $296.7 million that December stands as the national all-time high, ahead of New Jersey’s $273.2 million and Pennsylvania’s $259.7 million, both also recorded in December 2025.

Under Michigan’s licensing structure, operators must partner with one of the state’s commercial Detroit casinos or a tribal casino. With the licence cap reached, PokerStars’ departure was the only opening available. PokerStars had consistently ranked near the bottom of Michigan’s 15 operators by revenue, generating around $2 million per month before exiting.

Hard Rock was the only other large operator to enter Michigan in recent years, launching in early December 2025. Bet365 is the second significant entrant in five months. Detroit’s three commercial casinos reported $103.9 million in January 2026 revenue, a separate track to the online market but an indicator of the state’s overall gaming appetite.

NJ and Pennsylvania Performance

Bet365’s iCasino track record in its existing two states supports the Michigan push. Its New Jersey platform posted a record $3.4 million in revenue for March 2026, with first-quarter winnings of $8.3 million — more than double the $4.1 million recorded in Q1 2025. In Pennsylvania, bet365 generated $9.8 million in taxable winnings across January and February 2026, a 113.2% increase on the same two months in 2025, driven by table games growth and reduced promotional spend on slots.

Partnerships and Market Positioning

Bet365 entered Michigan with sports partnerships already in place. It became the presenting partner of Detroit SportsNet on April 1, three weeks before going live with wagers — the network now carries the official name “Detroit SportsNet, presented by bet365” and broadcasts Detroit Tigers baseball, with Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings telecasts set to follow. The operator has also confirmed official sports betting partnerships with the Tigers for the 2026 MLB season and the Red Wings for the 2026-27 NHL season, with integrations at Comerica Park including virtual signage during game broadcasts, radio and digital presence, and fan engagement programmes.

The operator has also left the American Gaming Association, joining fellow Sports Betting Alliance members FanDuel, DraftKings, and Fanatics in departing the trade body, citing the AGA’s focus on the retail casino sector as bet365 continues to concentrate on online expansion.

Michigan gives bet365 a dual-vertical foothold in the third-largest US iCasino market at a time when the operator’s online casino revenues in its existing states are accelerating. New York remains the most significant iCasino market without a legal framework, and New York’s online casino legislation remains in progress — a development that would represent a far larger opportunity for the operator’s US casino ambitions. US gambling legislation in 2026 has seen a mix of expansion and crackdowns across multiple states, and Michigan’s licence dynamics illustrate how tightly controlled entry can be even in established markets.

Bet365 also operates sports betting and casino in Ontario, giving it a cross-border dual-vertical presence in the Great Lakes region. Ontario’s iGaming market hit C$4 billion in 2025, a 34% increase year-on-year, underscoring the scale of regulated online gaming in the adjacent Canadian market.

Source: Michigan Gaming Control Board; bet365