Detroit Lions fans have been looking forward to the new NFL season since late January, when their team fell just short of making their first-ever Super Bowl appearance.
Now, the Lions are back — and judging by Sunday’s overtime win against the LA Rams, they are back with every intention of not only making it to the Super Bowl this year, but winning it.
That should also be great news for Michigan online poker players. An influx of sports bettors to DraftKings MI, which launched its first peer-to-peer online poker game, Electric Poker, in its Michigan online casino just weeks before the Lions took the field on Sunday, could mean the games will fill quicker with players that may be less experienced at poker.
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“This is the equivalent for us like our holiday season,” DraftKings CEO Jason Robins told attendees of the Bank of America Gaming & Lodging Conference on September 5 about the start of the football season. “It’s where we get a ton of new customers, we reactivate a lot of customers. It’s a great time for us to really get a sense of what the next year is going to look like.
“I almost wish we started our fiscal year at the beginning of the NFL season but it’s definitely very exciting and very important.”
Many New Online Poker Players Expected
DraftKings has an excellent market position in the Great Lakes State — in terms of both online sportsbook and casino gaming.
Data from the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) show DraftKings consistently ranks as one of the larger online sportsbooks in the state, in terms of both handle and revenue. DraftKings runs one of the larger online casinos in Michigan, too.
With solid market positions in both verticals, DraftKings will be in a prime position to encourage its online sports bettors and casino players to give Electric Poker a try. The link to the game can be found in the lobby of DraftKings Casino MI.
Electric Poker is a true player-versus-player online poker game. It functions as a three-handed, lottery or “jackpot” type of sit-and-go tournament where the winner takes all (except at the higher multipliers) and the prize is randomized at the start of play.
And games will likely be soft, especially with an expected increase in players coinciding with the start of the NFL season. Many players are expected to be new to the game.
Handle Grew As Lions Improved
MGCB data suggests Electric Poker will see plenty of players coming from DraftKings Sportsbook MI — especially if the Lions do well in 2024, as expected.
Online sports betting launched in Michigan on January 22, 2021, just 18 days after the Lions’ 2020 season came to an end with a 37-35 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Detroit would finish the 2021 season with a 3-13 record. The team vastly improved in 2022, but finished with a mark of 9-8.
Last season was quite a different story. The Lions won their division, finishing the regular season with a 12-5 record — making 2023 the team’s best season since 1991.
After defeating the LA Rams in the Wild Card round and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional game, the Lions came oh-so-close to making their first-ever appearance in a Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers brought the Lions’ magical season to an end on January 28, beating Detroit 34-31 in the NFC Championship Game.
According to the MGCB, handle for DraftKings Sportsbook MI has grown alongside the improved performance by the Detroit Lions on the field.
DraftKings Sportsbook MI had its best-ever month for handle in December 2023, when $169.9 million in sports wagers were placed.
Handle has grown as the Lions have improved on the field. Online wagers placed in the month of December increased nearly 34% year-over-year between 2022 (when the Lions finished 9-8) and 2023 (12-5) — and more than 41% from December 2021, part of the season Detroit finished a forgettable 3-13.
If the Lions keep improving, handle will likely climb to new highs — and bring more potential players to Electric Poker in the Great Lakes State.
DraftKings is partnered with Bay Mills Resort & Casino, a tribal gaming facility owned and operated by the Bay Mills Indian Community.