'For those customers who have been going to Michigan from our area, it's a chance to keep them home and create additional revenue, jobs, and opportunity in the area,' he said. The executive further claimed that the new facility would help the state retain sports bettors currently going to neighboring states for wagering, while also keeping revenue closer to home.
'We've got our current casino expansion going on right now and that'll be completed in February which is our new outdoor gaming terrace and this will be the next phase we go into by building a new sportsbook,' Hirsch said, according to WTOL11. The redevelopment efforts will include a Barstool Sportsbook for retail sports wagering. The casino’s general manager, Brad Hirsch, said the launch of sports betting couldn’t come at a better time, as the Penn National-operated facility is in the middle of an expansion. Mike Dewine signed House Bill 29 into law in December, a move expected to help the state compete with neighboring states which have already legalized their markets, including Indiana and Michigan. Hollywood Casino Toledo in Ohio is expanding its facility in anticipation of legal sports wagering in the state, set to launch this year.
