Is bet365 Casino, Sportsbook Coming to Michigan Following PokerStars Departure?

Big news shook up the US online casino industry last week when PokerStars announced it was closing its iGaming operations and entering in a partnership with FanDuel.

The new “PokerStars exclusively on FanDuel” left a ripple effect on key online casino states. Among them is the state of Michigan, where an open license was created in a very competitive market.

The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians will now be looking for a new operator to run its online casino, and potentially online sportsbook, operations.

Could that new license be going to bet365? There’s a lot of reasons to connect the online brand to the current Michigan online casino industry, including

PokerStars Leaves Open License in Michigan

With PokerStars ending its online casino platform on April 1, the state now only has 14 legal igaming platforms operating in Michigan.

PokerStars was only operating an online casino, so it didn’t generate any online sports betting for Little Traverse Bay Bands since mid-2023.

This opening provides the tribe with an opportunity to land a stronger online partner in both industries. PokerStars was only generating around $2 million per month in iGaming revenue, ranking near the bottom of the state’s 15 operators.

Is bet365 Coming to Michigan?

An open Michigan iGaming license isn’t easy to come by, so there should be plenty of interest from brands not currently in the state.

One of those brands is bet365 Casino, which operates iGaming in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, while operating online sportsbooks in 16 states.

Aside from an established name across the US, there’s a few other reasons to believe this matchup could happen.

Bet365 Website Indicates Michigan Connection

One of the biggest reasons to believe bet365 could be coming to Michigan is bet365 itself.

While visiting the bet365 landing page, there’s some fine print at the bottom of the site. Here’s a screenshot of what it reads:

They key verbiage there is “Hillside (Michigan) LLC” is licensed and regulated by Michigan Gaming Control Board in partnership with Odawa Casino, Inc.”

The available licenses for sports betting and iGaming come from Odawa Casino, Inc. owners, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.

In the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB)’s list of provisional supplier licenses, Hillside (Michigan) LLC is listed as an accepted entity for both internet gaming and sports betting. It includes bet365 under “Doing Business As.”

Attempts for confirmation from bet365 and the MGCB on the status of the operator in the state of Michigan weren’t immediately returned.

Detroit SportsNet Sponsored by bet365

Another tie that bet365 is making with the state of Michigan is becoming the new primary sponsor of Detroit SportsNet.

This streaming network is the home to Detroit Tigers baseball in 2026 and will be the new home of Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings telecasts following the 2025-26 seasons.

These three Detroit professional sports organizations needed a new broadcast home following a severed deal with the FanDuel Sports Network.

Many observers have made the connection that it was odd for bet365 to be the main sponsor of a network in a state it is not currently active in. Perhaps, bet365 knew it would be making the venture into Michigan sooner rather than later. If so, it’s got a great marketing avenue to get started with.