Evolution Gaming Opens Its Michigan Live Casino Studio

Evolution Gaming has opened a live casino studio in Michigan on July 22, 2021, from where live blackjack games—including standard blackjack and Infinite Blackjack—as well as other live table games are streamed in real-time.

The purpose-built studio is the first of its kind in Michigan and was approved by the Michigan Gambling Control Board (MGCB). However, Sweden-based Evolution Gaming has 10 other live casino studios in other locations, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the USA, and in other countries.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

According to Jeff Millar, Evolution’s commercial director for North America, the Michigan studio is among the largest and most well-equipped in the iGaming market of the United States. It allows multiple online casino operators to provide top-notch gaming, helmed by professional and personable dealers, to players in Michigan on smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers.

Millar further states that Evolution’s objective is to come up with world-class gaming options to instill excitement in players and to entertain them. In addition, the studio is also designed to maximize opportunities for operators.

Evolution’s Operator Partnerships

The studio has been well-received by Michigan operators. In fact, several of them have expressed interest in commissioning Evolution for dedicated and exclusively branded online blackjack and other live table games.

The following gaming operators went live during the launch of Evolution’s Michigan live casino studio:

• William Hill
• Barstool Sports
• TwinSpires
• BetMGM
• PokerStars
• BetRivers
• FanDuel
• DraftKings

NetEnt Games in Michigan

Evolution’s live gaming studio isn’t the company’s first foray into the Michigan market. In January 2021, NetEnt, a subsidiary of Evolution Gaming, partnered with multiple operators to make several of its online casino games available to players in Michigan. These titles include Blackjack, Divine Fortune, and Starburst.

Evolution Gaming acquired NetEnt in December 2020 as part of an all-share deal valued at approximately $2.12 billion.

Online Gambling in Michigan

The MGCB made plenty of gamblers in the Wolverine State happy when it opened online gaming and online sports betting in January 2021. Since then, the Michigan Internet-based gambling has continued to expand and options have widened for segments such as table games, poker, slots, and sports betting.

Numbers released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board show that Internet gaming and online sports wagering indicate an interest in these activities by Michigan residents and visitors. Online casino and sports betting operators in the state had June 2021 revenues of $114.2 million.

Online casinos earned $89.2 million in gross receipts while operators of online sports betting earned $25 million. The amount of money wagered by players in Michigan in June 2021 amounted to more than $235 million.

Playtech to Enter Michigan

Evolution Gaming isn’t the only global gambling software development firm interested in expanding in Michigan. In March 2021, Isle of Man-based Playtech revealed a long-term lease it had acquired for its own first live casino studio in Michigan and in the United States.

Playtech’s studio, located in Southfield, was approved by the MGCB. Boasting state-of-the-art live casino technology, the facility aims to provide networked tables as well as operator-dedicated tables.