Ready to Play: Everything You Need to Know About Online Casinos in Michigan

Welcome to the list of best online Casinos in Michigan. All the casino sites offer great welcome bonuses, free spins and welcome online players from Michigan, Detroit.

About online Casinos in Michigan

It’s been nearly 40 years since the first tribal casino opened in Michigan.

Now, two years into the legalization of online gambling in the state, the Michigan gambling industry is thriving under a new casino era — one led by a slew of online casino options.

Here’s a look at everything you need to know about Michigan online casinos, including gambling laws and where you can play online right now. 

Online casino-lovers in Michigan received a windfall in January 2019 when lawmakers passed a slew of bills that legalized online gambling, online poker, sports betting, and fantasy sports in the state.

A slew of online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks have sprung up in the state since late 2020, following a long history of traditional gambling options in Michigan.

According to playmichigan.com, horse racing was legalized in 1933, followed by the creation of the state lottery in 1972.

It wasn’t until 1984 that physical casinos started to pop up. In 1984, the first casino in the state that was sanctioned by an American Indian tribe was opened in Brimley, Mich., by the Bay Mills Indian Band. It was the United States’ first tribally owned casino.

Three licensed casinos were approved by voters in the state’s biggest city, Detroit, in 1996 with the first large casino, the MGM Grand Detroit, opening three years later.

Many are modeled on already successful independent online casino sites, including This is Vegas, at https://thisisvegas.com, Slots LV, at https://www.slots.lv,  Ignition Casino, at https://www.ignitioncasino.eu and Da Vinci’s Gold, at https://davincisgold.com/.

According to the Michigan Gaming Control Board, online gambling revenue in Michigan already totals about $394 million, with internet gaming taxes generating $99.7 million for state and local governments.

[su_panel color=”#00000″ border=”4px solid #00329A”]The highest-grossing online casino each month has consistently been the Detroit MGM Grand and BetMGM, together making $36 million in May 2021 alone.[/su_panel]

A state government assessment in 2020 estimated that Michigan online casinos on their own could bring in $18 million a year, along with $7 million from online sportsbooks. Some believe the online casino and gambling industry alone in Michigan could actually bring in more — $30-$50 million each year.

Are online Casinos Legal in Michigan – the Gambling and Casino Laws

Currently, only existing casinos, which include the three in Detroit and 23 tribal casinos state-wide, can apply for online casino licenses in the state.

They are the only entities that can operate and facilitate casino-style games online, including poker and slot machines.

The state created revamped guidelines for gambling and licensing in coordination with the launch of the first online casinos in Michigan.

Those with casino licenses in Michigan are allowed to partner with one brand of online casinos and online poker each.

Online casinos and poker sites are taxed 20% for gross revenue of less than $4 million and face a 28% tax for gross revenue over $12 million.

On top of that, here is an internet tax of 1.25% to Detroit for casinos in the city partnering with online casinos.

All online casinos and online poker — including those run by a tribe — are overseen by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, which documents all gaming revenue in the state.

Online casino laws are evolving, but they generally outline which games can be offered, including slots, blackjack, slots, poker, and cards.

Other key laws include:

• Internet licenses are good for five years and then renewed thereafter.
• Internet gaming businesses must have one or more ways to verify age, location, and pinpoint whoever is not on the responsible gaming database of the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
• An operator’s license must be fully displayed online.
• Online games cannot be offered unless a specific business has an operator licensed with a tribal casino and another licensed by a commercial casino.

Where to Find online Casinos in Michigan

Online casinos can be accessed in Michigan through either a casino’s app or website. Players must be at least 21 years old, have a valid U.S. Social Security number, and reside in Michigan.

Here are a few of the top online casinos in Michigan.

BetMGM

Run under the banner of the MGM Grant, BetMGM offers a large selection of table games, including several different forms of roulette, baccarat, and blackjack. The poker options are numerous, including triple play draw poker, ultimate X poker five play, and Texas hold’em plus.

Online slot machines are particularly popular and include such well-known games as Divine Fortune, Mercy of the Gods, and Monopoly BigSpin Casino.

There are several exclusives to BetMGM as well, with 472 exclusive listings available currently on casino.mi.betmgm.com.

Casino and poker promotions are plentiful, most commonly featuring free spins on slots, sweepstakes entries, and deposit matching of up to $1,000 you add to your account — and $25 on the house for you to play with.

Special poker promotions are offered daily, but some are tied to certain days of the week. For example, there's a $40,000 poker tournament held on Sundays.

FanDuel

The official partner of Detroit’s MotorCity casino, FanDuel is one of the largest online sportsbook operators in the United States that has branched out to casinos.

In Michigan, the casino arm of FanDuel is called Stardust. There's an option for a “live casino” that ups the interaction factor and is mostly for card games including unlimited blackjack across multiple tables, but the “live” feature can be found for roulette and poker as well.

The most popular slots on FanDuel/Stardust are branded with jackpot potentials; biggies such as Divine Fortune, 88 Fortune, and Endless Treasure are often promoted with jackpots.

Other well-known slots in the lineup: Crown of Egypt, Chicken Fox, and Cleopatra. Poker offers include typical fare like stud poker and general video poker.

FanDuel/Stardust awards new gamblers with several different promotions. New customers can play their first day risk-free for up to $200 and get $50 when a friend also registers and plays.

DraftKings

Another behemoth in the online gambling industry, DraftKings has joined forces with Bay Mills in Michigan for casino offerings. Slots, poker, blackjack — it’s all here.

Unique promotions and features tied to games are one of DraftKings’ specialties. They highlight games of the week and have special promotions tied to holidays and events, which makes playing feel fresh each and every month.

For example, in June, there’s DraftKings Pride Blackjack tied to Pride Month.

Drawing on their extensive sports background, many of DraftKings’ online table games in Michigan are league-branded, including Football Blackjack and Hockey Jackpot.

There are a total of 518 games offered, including 33 exclusively DraftKings branded, six live dealer games, and 61 table games.

Before playing, check out the long list of promotions, including a payout of $10,000 to the longest blackjack streaks and a $5 million summer leaderboard legends series.

BetRivers

BetRivers does its best to replicate the live experience. The running list on the website of leaderboards and individual streak winners is a great touch.

Run by the Little River Casino in Manistee, Mich., BetRivers has a crowded list of games, including unique and fun movie- and TV-themed slots, including Bill ; Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Narcos.

There is a collection of 24 table and card games with new games added regularly (eight are listed). BetRivers offers some nice incentives for new users, particularly through deposit matching, including a full $250 match.

WynnBet

The Sault Tribe Online Gambling association works with WynnBet, another big name in casinos and sportsbooks.

Slots, blackjack, roulette, poker, and table games are all clearly and attractively organized on the online casino’s website. It's one of the most user-friendly platforms for online casinos in Michigan.

There are six types of blackjack and roulette each, eight options for poker and table games, and nearly 200 slots, including Pele’s Paradise Extreme, Kingdom of Gold: Mystic Ways, and Baywatch.

There’s a revolving number of promotions, but all are generous and potentially lucrative. One recent offer was pegged to the slot game Divine Fortune and offered 200 free spins and a 100% casino match on a player’s first deposit with a 20X playthrough.

Bottom Line

With an eye on the exciting future of gambling, Michigan is one of a handful of states in the U.S. that are pioneers within the online casino, poker, and sportsbook industry; it was just the second state to make it legal.

Capitalizing on its long and popular history of casinos and gambling, but modernizing it effectively and responsibly through online regulations, Michigan has begun to see its efforts come to fruition — with rising revenues and happy players trying their luck at an extensive number of table games, slots and more.

More online casino operations in Michigan include the Golden Nugget (partnered with Keweenaw Bay), Bartstool (Greektown), Four Wings (Pokagon) and TwinSpires (Hannahville).

In Michigan, the online casino future is as bright as the neon lights adorning its slots — both in-person and online. It’s time to join the fun.

References

playmichigan.com, michigan.gov, the Michigan Gaming Control Board

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