Supplier News
US – Michigan’s FireKeepers Casino launches retail sports betting with Scientific Games
By Phil - 20 August 2020
Scientific Games has launched retail sports betting for FireKeepers Casino, owned by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi (NHBP), and is working with FireKeepers to expand that effort to include digital sports betting and iGaming when regulation opens within the state of Michigan.
The first stage of FireKeepers’ launch includes the deployment of Scientific Games’ OpenSports™ product suite for retail sports betting at ‘Dacey’s Sportsbook’, which opened in June, offering hundreds of markets across all US Sports along including international soccer and baseball and golf.
The go-live signals the first tribal operator to launch sports betting in Michigan and builds on Scientific Games’ strong Tribal partnerships after the successful launch of retail sports in New York with the Oneida Indian Nation.
Following a new bill passing in the state of Michigan, Scientific Games will also deliver its OpenGaming and OpenSports products to launch FireKeepers’ new digital sports betting and casino offering.
FireKeepers Casino first opened in 2009 and has become one of the biggest tribal gaming operators in the US. The casino, based in Battle Creek, features 2,900 slots machines, 70 table games, multiple restaurants and lounges alongside its new retail sportsbook.
Jordan Levin, CEO, Scientific Games Digital said: “FireKeepers are one of the leading casinos in the state of Michigan and the Midwest. It builds on our strategy to partner with forward-thinking tribes as regulations evolve. We were the first to partner with a tribe in New York through our agreement with Oneida and now we’re proud to launch the first tribe in Michigan with FireKeepers.”
Levin continued, “Retail sports is live via our OpenSports solution and the state of Michigan is preparing for a digital go-live for sports and iGaming – both of which are now key parts of our agreement with FireKeepers – as early as Q4 2020. They have a wonderful team and we’re looking forward to building out their full product suite with the launch of OpenGaming™ once regulations permit.”
Kathy George, Chief Executive Officer, FireKeepers, said: “These are exciting times for FireKeepers Casino and launching our retail sportsbook is the realization of a major strategic objective. The team at Scientific Games have been integral to delivering this fantastic new offering for bettors in Michigan. We keenly await the opportunity take both our sports and our casino online with their player-centric technology and global expertise.”
