- BetRivers.com is now the fourth betting partner of the Detroit Pistons joining PointsBet, DraftKings and FanDuel.
- Mobile sports betting and gaming went live in Michigan on Friday, January 22.
- Ten operators have been authorized to offer wagering at the outset.
- Michigan legalized retail sports betting in 2019.
Michigan has now entered the 21st Century as online and mobile betting in the state went live on Friday. Ten sportsbooks are now available for state residents:
- Draft Kings
- William Hill
- Barstool Sports (Penn National)
- TwinSpires
- Golden Nugget Online Gaming
- BetRivers (Rush Street Interactive)
- BetMGM (Roar Digital)
- FanDuel
- WynnBET
- PointsBet
PointsBet made it just under the wire–they completed their licensing yesterday in the nick of time.
As has been the case in any newly regulated US state sportsbook providers are eager to partner up with local teams to help grow their brand identity. Another deal of this type was announced on Friday as BetRivers announced a multi-year partnership with the NBA Detroit Pistons. Some teams look to enter into (presumably more lucrative) ‘exclusive’ deals but not the Pistons–BetRivers is now their fourth ‘official betting partner’ joining PointsBet, DraftKings and FanDuel. Personally, I don’t blame teams for signing up as many ‘official betting partners’ as possible–and particularly in these revenue challenged times. It’s a revenue stream for the team, it’s good exposure for the sportsbooks and it helps sports betting more firmly establish itself in the collective zeitgeist of the nation.
The deal looks to be fairly conventional. BetRivers will offer a free to play game called ‘Fan Pick’em–presented by BetRivers’ which will be available through the Detroit Pistions official app. The BetRivers website will have special promotions for Pistons fans as an official partner they’re authorized to use the official Pistons logos and marks ‘along with promoting the BetRivers brand in associating with different marketing assets including TV, radio and digital advertising’.
Richard Schwartz, president of BetRivers parent company Rush Street Interactive had this to say about his company’s deal with the Detroit Pistons:
“Michiganders love their home state NBA team and the Detroit Pistons have a rich history, winning the NBA Championship three times. This partnership combines two organizations that share an unwavering commitment to excellence in providing sports fans with unparalleled experiences, and BetRivers.com is proud to be an official sportsbook partner of this well-respected franchise.”
The launch in Michigan makes it 7 states for BetRivers in one form or another. They’re available under the BetRivers brand in six states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and Colorado. They’re also live in New Jersey at PlaySugarhouse.com Since Rush Street Properties rebranded Philadelphia’s SugarHouse Casino as ‘Rivers Casino Philadelphia’ late last year you have to think that it’ll just be a matter of time before they rebrand their New Jersey web presence.
