Supplying services to numerous casino sites
Online gambling software provider GAN has announced its latest partnership deal in the United States, this time gaining a foothold in the Michigan market.
GAN has secured access to Michigan’s newly regulated iGaming market after negotiating a deal with the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
GAN will be providing the technology for the tribe to launch its own online gambling services
This announcement follows HB 4311 being passed by lawmakers in Michigan on December 23, 2019. The bill approved the legalization of online casinos and online sportsbooks in the state. GAN will be providing the technology for the tribe to launch its own online gambling services.
The tribe is federally recognized and it has its operations located on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Its gaming division is called Kewadin Casinos and it has five gambling facilities dotted across the state.
Rules and regulations to be finalized
The Michigan Gaming Control Board has not yet finalized the rules and regulations for the iGaming sector. Therefore, online gambling operations are not set to launch until 2021. However, operators have been striking partnerships with local operators in anticipation of these new rules.
GAN clearly sees potential in the state’s online gambling market. It will be working with a major casino operator on this online gambling offering in the state. However, the casino operator wishes to remain anonymous until regulations for the sector have been approved.
Response to this deal
Speaking about this new deal was Jeff Berman, the chief commercial officer of GAN. He spoke about the potential of the market in Michigan. He also said that GAN’s “technical expertise and ‘day one’ experience in multiple US Internet gaming markets will enable the Sault Tribe to capture their share of the online opportunity.”
Road to legalization in Michigan
After previous attempts to legalize sports betting fell at the final hurdle under the former state governor, it finally secured passage late in 2019 through recently elected Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
She signed into law a number of bills that made sports betting and online gambling legal in Michigan. The three commercial casinos and the tribes in the state are able to launch online casino gaming platforms.
The first of the state’s retail sportsbooks opened at the start of March in Detroit. However, the timing could not have been much worse.
Just a few days after launch, Governor Whitmer had to issue an order to close gambling venues in the state in an attempt to stop the spreading of the coronavirus. Therefore, new sportsbooks were left in limbo as most major sporting events were either canceled or postponed.