Clearly, bet365 isn’t done expanding across the United States as the brand is officially live in Michigan. April 17 is the official launch day.
It means Michigan gamblers can download the integrated bet365 online sportsbook and iGaming platform. New Jersey and Pennsylvania are the only other states where the combined product is live.
Trip Stoddard, Head of Business Development at Bet365, said “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, combined with our in-play experience and integrated casino, give players more ways to engage and more reasons to choose bet365.”
To enter the Wolverine State, Bet365 needed to partner with a land-based casino operator. The door opened when Flutter Entertainment – parent company of FanDuel and PokerStars – transitioned its popular online poker platform to the FanDuel Casino app.
Bet365 shares a Michigan land-based partnership with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. This makes it 17 states where bet365 online sportsbook is live. The list includes the Missouri sports betting market that went live last year. Bet365 went live on December 1 via a partnership with MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals.
Michigan iGaming regulations allow for up to 15 online casino licenses, all of which have now been scooped up. Hard Rock Bet entered the Michigan market last December, taking over the license previously held by Sports Illustrated Sportsbook and Online Casino.
The Michigan online gaming market has been live since January 2021.
Instead of just entering another market, bet365 is making a larger market commitment by announcing a partnership with MLB’s Detroit Tigers. As the press release stated, “bet365 is also focused on embedding itself within Michigan’s online sports and entertainment landscape.” The operator also has a partnership with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.
Bet365 has a goal of “creating a meaningful experience with fans and enhancing how they engage with their favorite experiences.”
The partnership with the Tigers will include bet365 being integrated throughout Comerica Park via a range of high-visibility placements. The marketing deal also includes:
It’s all about offering a differentiated experience in a mature Michigan online gaming market.
The European-based online casino and sportsbook operator made headlines earlier this week by changing its payment policy. As of April 13, bet365 no longer accepts credit cards as a deposit method. Since the policy changed prior to the launch, bet365 customers in Michigan don’t need to worry about updating their payment method.
This is becoming an industry trend as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM are other top brands that are no longer accepting credit cards.
