MICHIGAN, USA — Big news to our north this weekend as online sports betting is now legal in Michigan.
It's expected to be a big money maker for both casinos and the state.
Sports betting has been legal in Michigan for almost a year, but people had to make bets in person, at a casino.
But as of Friday at noon online sports betting is now legal in the state.
This means you can place a sports bet directly from your phone or computer, from anywhere in the state.
I-Gaming is also now available meaning you can also play any of your favorite casino games from your phone or computer.
David Tsai, the President of MGM Grand Detroit, says aside from the convenience, online betting will also turn back some money into the economy.
"As you can imagine, now offering online gaming provides another venue. So not only can we grow the market, but now we can contribute more tax dollars and we're proud of our ability to do that,” said Tsai.
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Tsai says an uptick in gambling addiction is possible as the new rules go into effect, but they have a strategy to make sure their guests are having fun, until it's not fun anymore.
"Sometimes for a guest, it's no longer fun. We train our employees. We educate our guests about what that means and how to actually stop that. We provide hotlines, resources, materials to make sure people know how to recognize the signs for that,” said Tsai.
Restaurants and bars are still closed in Michigan, meaning casinos aren't serving anything right now either.
And like everything else going virtual this past year, David says he expects the online sports betting business to take off.
"I think offering people an option to do things virtually or online at home I think is a good thing too,” said Tsai. “Again, when it's done in the right way and its done in a safe way "
There are nine operators that are authorized to launch at this time. However more are expected to be authorized in the coming weeks.