Michiganders flock to online sports betting for Super Bowl LV
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Ahead of Super Bowl LV Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, many Michiganders had placed their bets online — so many, in fact, that casinos were feeling the competition.
Dustin Ploehn, sportsbook senior manager at FireKeepers Casino Hotel, said they had to work smarter to bring customers in the door.
Ploehn said the casino's main advantage was, "being able to provide an extra level of guest service here that they may not get when the guest is placing the wagers at home from the digital app."
According to new research by the American Gaming Association, 23.2 million Americans planned to bet a total of $4.3 billion on Super Bowl LV.
The AGA also said a record 7.6 million people would place Super Bowl bets online.
Online sports betting became legal in Michigan Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, but only nine casinos in the state supported the new capability. Meanwhile, Adam Greenblatt, the CEO of BetMGM, said more than 130,000 people signed up within the first few days of the site going live in Michigan.
- Place your bets: Michigan online sports betting and casino games opens at noon
Still, some preferred betting the old fashioned way.
Edward Booker, a Michigan better, said he preferred making bets in person because he felt there were fewer opportunities for mistakes.
Booker said betting on the Super Bowl was his second in-person experience. On Sunday, he planned to put $100 on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
