Fanatics Launches in Michigan

The slow march toward a Fanatics sportsbook and Fanatics online casino launch in the state of Michigan is finally over, with the state now home to one of the best sportsbooks.

The newest Michigan sports betting app and online casino took a while to get here, but Thursday, Feb. 22 will go down as the day that the sports apparel/gambling company finally went live in the Wolverine State. Its Michigan license came thanks to a partnership with the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.

Thursday's launch is the result of nearly a year's worth of work. It started when Fanatics consummated its PointsBet USA acquisition last summer in a deal that included market access for both sports betting and an online casino in the state. The book will surely soon be putting out Michigan sportsbook promos.

Michigan's launch is another in a recent string of Fanatics sportsbook openings. Fanatics Pennsylvania went live in January and in Iowa earlier this month. Fanatics is poised to be one of the new North Carolina sports betting apps when that market goes live in March. 

Fanatics sportsbook is now available in 13 states - Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia, with many more previous PointsBet licenses being migrated to the Fanatics brand.

The Michigan market

Michigan has been one of the most reliable sports betting markets in the sprawling U.S. legal sports wagering industry. Michigan is a guaranteed top-10 revenue state, and it already includes some of the best sports betting apps.

There are currently 14 Michigan sports betting sites and a thriving retail wagering scene. Included in that number are all of the top sports betting destinations in the country, like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars, to name a few.

Michigan online casinos also make the sate one of six that allow for online casinos, which, according to the American Gaming Association, made up $6.2 billion of the $65 billion in revenues for the national gaming sector in 2023. 

Fanatics iGaming launching in the Wolverine state is huge and could be the company's bread and butter in Michigan.

Improving on PointsBet

PointsBet had been a middling name in the Michigan sports betting industry since launching with the first batch of 10 Michigan sports betting sites. From launch date in the state until the end of January, the provider took in $394.8 million in accepted bets and reported $33.8 million in lifetime revenues.

There are single months that FanDuel Michigan has approached a $400-million handle.

PointsBet, which was among the North American betting sites, did show some momentum toward the end of its tenure in the Michigan market. The company reported at least $1.8 million in revenues every month from September to the conclusion of January.

It's hoped that brand recognition for the Fanatics brand, its unique 5% “FanCash” cash back rewards programs, and the company bringing new life into the Michigan market will improve on the market share that PointsBet had accumulated before winding down its operation.

Signing up

Fanatics sportsbook app and online casino are available for download on the App Store, Google Play, and the Fanatics website. Prior PointsBet users' information will be transported over once the app is downloaded. Those users will have their email, log-in information, balances, open bets, bonus bets, and reward balance transferred to the new Fanatics site.

Attracting bettors will be key for Fanatics in the competitive Michigan market. The company is offering $1,000 in bonus bets for those who sign up for the Fanatics Michigan brand.