While the Detroit Lions were upsetting the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, about 340 miles north of Detroit, a celebration took place for the grand opening of the DraftKings Sportsbook at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley.
The new retail sportsbook is the latest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where football allegiance is often split between the Lions and Packers. But at DraftKings Sportsbook in Bay Mills, NFL bettors can wager either way and on many other sporting events.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Michael Kibort, DraftKings Senior Director of Retail Sportsbook Operations, Richard LeBlanc, General Manager of Bay Mills Resort and Casino, representatives of the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce, and leaders from Bay Mills Indian Community, which owns and operates the resort and casino.
“[We are gratified] to demonstrate our DraftKings partnership to our guests and community, which will positively impact our region for years to come,” LeBlanc said.
Betting Kiosks Added at Bay Mills
The sportsbook allows wagering via the DraftKings app as well as four betting kiosks. There are three odds boards that list the latest odds and lines for sporting events all over the U.S., and internationally. Visitors can bet on any sporting event available via the DraftKings sports betting app. Two more sports betting kiosks are situated in the casino game room for convenience.
Live sports betting is available at DraftKings Bay Mills, via the top-rated DraftKings app. Visitors can wager on NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, UFC/MMA, racing, and many more events, including European Soccer and Canadian Football League.
DraftKings entered the Michigan sports betting market with a license agreement via Bay Mills in 2020, with sports betting launching the following January.
Eight large-screen, hi-def TVs are a central feature of the sportsbook and lounge, where visitors can relax, watch games, and enjoy refreshments and food from the Bay Mills bar and kitchen. The sportsbook will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, just like the casino’s main floor. Beverage service begins at 11 a.m. daily.
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$65 Million Expansion Will Double the Size of the Resort
Bay Mills Resort & Casino is located 15 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie, and 44 miles north of the Mackinac Bridge, which connects Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. Bay Mills Indian Community opened the dual resort/casino in 1995. It has 140 hotel rooms, three restaurants, an RV park, an 18-hole championship golf course, and a trail system adjacent to the property that is open year-round.
In October, the tribe announced a $65 million expansion project which will increase the number of rooms in the resort by nearly double, also double the casino gaming floor footprint, and feature the addition of a spa and massage therapy room, pool, and splash pad area, arcade, and fitness center. The project, which is planned to start in the spring of 2023 according to the Bay Mills Indian Community, will enhance the outdoor features with more trails for snowmobiling and hiking, multiple fishing piers, gazebos, and new garden areas.
For many who enjoy casino gambling in Michigan, Bay Mills is a popular “up north” destination, serving as a “Yooper” vacation trip. Nearby Sault Ste. Marie is known for its shipping lock system, and St. Ignace, which must be passed through to get to Bay Mills from the Lower Peninsula, is famous for beautiful scenery and rock formations. The Bay Mills Resort & Casino is nestled on Waiska Bay, which is known for plentiful fishing, is an inlet of Lake Superior. Many visitors also come to the area from Wisconsin via the west.
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Retail Sportsbooks in Michigan
The DraftKings Sportsbook at Bay Mills joins a list of other retail sports betting locations in Michigan:
- DraftKings Sportsbook at Bay Mills Resort & Casino
- BetMGM Sports Lounge At MGM Grand Detroit
- Onyx Sports Book By Caesars Sportsbook At Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel
- Onyx Sports Book By Caesars At Leelanau Sands Casino & Lodge
- River Rock Sportsbook at Little River Casino & Resort
- FanDuel Sportsbook At MotorCity Casino Hotel
- WynnBET At Kewadin Casino Sault Ste. Marie
- WynnBET At Kewadin Casino Christmas
- WynnBET At Kewadin Casino Hessel
- WynnBET At Kewadin Casino Manistique
- WynnBET At Kewadin Casino St. Ignace
- Northern Water Casino Resort
- Barstool Sportsbook At Greektown Casino
- Odawa Casino Resort Petoskey (Via Kiosk)
- Odawa Casino Mackinaw City (Via Kiosk)
- Four Winds Sportsbook (Buffalo, MI)
- Dacey’s Sportsbook At FireKeepers Casino & Hotel
- Stage 131 Sportsbook & Lounge At Gun Lake Casino
- Ascend Sportsbook At Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
- PointsBet Sportsbook At Northern Waters Casino Resort
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