Shuffle up and deal, Michigan, as PokerStars, as of 11 a.m. Friday, is now up and running and offering live ring-fenced poker in the Wolverine State.
Partnered with the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, PokerStars becomes the first online poker product being offered in the state.
For now, Poker Stars will just be allowed to offer intrastate contests. Back on Dec. 29, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the “multijurisdictional” law into place, allowing Michigan residents to compete against players from other states, although the law will not go into effect until March 29.
And even at that point, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) would need to seek out other states to enter into a poker compact with. Currently, the only poker compact between states is an agreement between New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada.