Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
DETROIT — The Michigan Gaming Control Board approved the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians Wednesday and its partner, PointsBet, to launch online sports betting starting noon Friday.
“The MGCB team worked closely with the Lac Vieux Desert tribe and PointsBet to wrap up regulatory requirements for online sports betting in time for the initial launch,” board executive director Richard S. Kalm said in the approval’s announcement. “Other operators will launch as they meet the requirements, which are designed to protect participants and instill confidence in honest gaming.”
The tribe is the 10th operator in the state to be approved to launch online sports betting or both online gaming and sports betting this week, according to the state’s announcement, with all wagering set to be launched Friday.
Lac Vieux Desert and PointsBet announced the formation of their partnership in January 2020 to provide online and mobile sports betting and gaming in Michigan once they obtained the necessary licenses.
“The Tribe is excited to join forces with PointsBet to further the Tribe’s economic development efforts and expand gaming online as allowable under Michigan and federal law. We are confident that this new opportunity will strengthen the Tribe’s self-sufficiency and self-determination efforts and provide much needed revenue to continue to expand and enhance tribal governmental services as well as provide jobs for the LVD community,” Lac Vieux Desert Tribal Chairman James Williams Jr. said at the time.
PointsBet is a bookmaker with operations in Australia and the United States.
The partnership came after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation allowing sports betting and online gaming in December 2019.
At the time of announcing their partnership, Lac Vieux Desert and PointsBet said they were also continuing to negotiate the possible operation of a retail sportsbook operations at the Northern Waters Casino Resort in Watersmeet to complement the online offerings.
Editor’s Note: The Associated Press contributed to this story.
