Michigan sports betting went live in January 2021. The state’s massive gambling expansion included multiple online sportsbooks and casinos launching at the same time.

Since the launch, the Wolverine State has evolved into one of the nation’s largest sports betting markets. Read on in this review for everything you need to know about the Michigan sports betting industry.

Key Facts About Sports Betting in Michigan

  • Legal Online Gambling Verticals – Online casinos, daily fantasy sports, online lottery, online poker, and online sports betting
  • Online Gambling Revenue Tax Rates – Online casinos: 20%–28% of gross revenue; Detroit casinos pay an extra 1.25% local tax. Online poker: 20%–28% of gross revenue. Detroit casinos pay an extra 1.25%, online sports betting: 8.4% of gross income; Detroit casinos pay an extra 1.25%
  • Available Online Sports Betting/Online Casino Licenses – 15—Three for commercial casinos and 12 for each tribe.
  • College Sports Wagering Policy – Michigan allows betting on professional and college teams. Bettors can wager on both in-state and college teams abroad.
  • iGaming Legalization and Launch Dates – Online casinos were legalized in December 2019 and launched in January 2021, online lottery was legalized in August 2014 and launched in September 2014, online sports betting was legalized in December 2019 and launched in January 2021. The state legalized online poker in December 2019 and launched it in January 2021. The state legalized daily fantasy sports in December 2019, launched in December 2019 (licensed)
  • Gaming Regulation Agency – Michigan Gaming Control Board

The Michigan iLottery went online in September 2014. In doing so, the iLottery became the first form of legal online gambling in Michigan.

In December 2019, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer helped expand MI internet gambling after signing multiple bills into effect. These pieces of legislation are as follows:

Each of the three Detroit commercial casinos and 12 state tribes can hold a Michigan online gambling license. In addition, the Detroit casinos and tribes can obtain licensing for online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks.

Michigan Legal Sportsbooks

The May 2018 repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) paved the way for legal online betting in Michigan. State Rep. Brandt Iden drafted legislation to legalize sports gambling shortly afterward. However, Iden ran into trouble when the state’s tribes believed that he favored commercial casinos in some aspects.

Iden reworked his bill to gain favor from the tribes and commercial casinos. As a result, the Lawful Sports Betting Act (HB 4916) passed the state house and senate in Oct. and Dec. 2019, respectively.

However, Gov. Whitmer had yet to express her support for LSBA. Instead, she wanted the bill to include a 15% tax on sports betting. Whitner signed the bill anyway, though, after Iden partially raised the tax rate to 8.4% (12% for commercial casinos).

Getting Started with Michigan Online Sports Betting

You shouldn’t experience much difficulty starting with sports gambling in the Wolverine State. Michigan online betting sites do an excellent job of ensuring an easy signup process. The typical registration process at an MI online sportsbook is as follows:

  1. You visit a licensed online sportsbook and select register/sign up.
  2. Fill in the blanks on the registration form (e.g., name, address, phone number, age, etc.).
  3. You submit the form and wait for approval.

Assuming you’re at least 21 years old, you should receive instant approval. 21 is the legal age for gambling at Mi online sportsbooks, casinos, and poker rooms. 

Remember that you don’t need to be within Michigan’s boundaries when registering. However, you must be within state lines when depositing and placing bets.

Based on our reviews and experiences, the best Michigan online sportsbooks include:

These operators stand out due to their bonuses, markets, promotions, and reputability. But, of course, other Michigan online betting sites are available. If legal online betting in Michigan fully matures, 15 licensing sports gambling sites will be operating.

No matter where you bet, you won’t need to worry about any restrictions compared to some states. For example, Michigan legal online betting includes college sports and esports (tribal casinos).

Retail Sportsbooks in Michigan

This state’s retail betting market is spread out thanks to the many tribes and multiple commercial casinos. Of course, the largest concentration of land-based sportsbooks is in Detroit. However, plenty of reservations also provides retail sports gambling.

Here’s what is available at the time of this writing:

  • Barstool – Greektown Casino Hotel (Detroit)
  • BetMGM – MGM Grand Detroit
  • BetRivers – Little River Casino and Resort (Manistee)
  • Caesars – Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel (Williamsburg) & Leelanau Sands Casino (Peshawbestown)
  • DraftKings – Bay Mills Resort and Casino (Brimley) & Kings Club Casino (Brimley)
  • FanDuel – MotorCity Casino Hotel (Detroit)
  • Four Winds – Four Winds Hartford, Four Winds New Buffalo & Four Winds Dowagiac
  • FOX Bet – Odawa Casino Resort (Petoskey) & Odawa Mackinaw City
  • Golden Nugget – Ojibwa Casino Marquette
  • PointsBet – Northern Waters Casino Resort (Watersmeet)
  • SG Digital – FireKeepers Casino Hotel (Battle Creek)
  • TwinSpires – Island Resort & Casino (Bark River)
  • WynnBET – Kewadin Casino Hessel, Kewadin Casino Christmas & Kewadin Shores St. Ignace

ESPN Bet (Greektown), BetMGM (MGM Grand), and FanDuel (MotorCity) are the largest MI retail sportsbooks. Not surprisingly, these three operators all serve Detroit (pop. 675k). 

However, the nice thing about Michigan’s retail market is that you’re never far from a land-based sportsbook here. Plenty of smaller reservation communities offer retail betting locations.

Legal Online Fantasy Sports Sites in Michigan

Daily fantasy sports have been available in Michigan since the late 2000s. However, they didn’t receive official approval until Whitmer signed the Fantasy Contests Consumer Protection Act in 2019. Now Michiganders can enjoy a broad range of fantasy sports contests.

Michigan Salary Cap DFS Sites

The most popular DFS contests feature salary caps. They give you a specific salary cap (e.g., $100,000) to spend on a set number of players (e.g., 10).

DraftKings and FanDuel are the predominant salary cap DFS sites in Michigan and nationally. Both brands started in daily fantasy before branching out to sports betting and casino games.

You can get started at DraftKings or FanDuel through the following steps:

  1. Visit the fantasy sports section (versus casino or sportsbook).
  2. Fill in the registration form blanks (or log in through Facebook if available).
  3. Confirm your account and deposit (optional).

FanDuel and DraftKings each offer a diverse range of games. Tournaments, head-to-head, 50/50 (a.k.a. double-ups), Steps, Boosters, and more are available.

MI Fantasy Player Prop Games

Similar to online sportsbooks, some fantasy sports sites offer prop bets. Fantasy prop bets center on how a player performs relative to a specific stat. For example, you might bet on whether a quarterback will pass for over or under three touchdowns.

  • Minnesota RB Dalvin Cook – Over/under 25.5 fantasy points
  • Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes – Over/under 350 passing yards
  • Buffalo WR Stefon Diggs – Over/under 2 receiving touchdowns
  • Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers – Over/under 3 passing touchdowns

You can join PrizePicks or Underdog in the same manner as traditional DFS sites. Fill out the registration form, submit it, and wait for approval (it should come instantly).

Best Ball Games in the Wolverine State

Best Ball sees you draft a season-long team just like traditional fantasy leagues. However, it differs in two main ways:

  1. After drafting, you can’t make roster decisions (i.e., adds/drops).
  2. The software automatically fills in your lineup with eight of the eligible 20 players.

You draft a team and hope for the best throughout the season. However, everything after the draft is up to fate.

FanDuel, Yahoo, and Underdog currently offer Best Ball formats in Michigan. You can compete in these contests/leagues for a small entry fee.

Michigan Legal Online Poker Sites

State politicians have discussed legalizing online poker in Michigan for years. Those in favor finally got their wish on Dec. 20, 2019, when Whitmer signed the Legal Internet Gaming Act. Internet poker officially became regulated on this date, along with online casino games. 

Available MI Online Poker Sites

PokerStars became the first online poker site in Michigan in January 2021. Partnered with the Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, it’s easily the state’s premier poker operator. PokerStars draws the most traffic, offers the biggest tournaments, and runs the most promotions.

It runs the Michigan Championship of Online Poker (MICOOP) and Michigan Spring Championship of Online Poker (MISCOOP) annually. These flagship events offer millions of dollars in prize money through various tournaments.

Launched in March 2021, BetMGM is currently the state’s only other internet poker operator. It uses partypoker’s software and, as a result, offers a smooth playing experience. This poker site’s flagship event is the BetMGM Online Series.

Does Michigan Share Liquidity with Other States?

Michigan has yet to share poker liquidity with any other states. However, it could potentially join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, including Delaware, New Jersey, and Nevada. Other potential liquidity partners with legal online poker include Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Even without pooling players, the Michigan market is experiencing success. PokerStars currently draws 200 cash players an hour, while BetMGM attracts 75 players per hour. However, liquidity would go a long way toward boosting these numbers.

Legal Online Casinos in Michigan

Online casinos were part of the Legal Internet Gaming Act with internet poker. Again, Gov. Whitmer signed LIGA and officially legalized online casino games and poker in December 2019. Operators took over a year getting their sites in order, with the first casinos going live in January 2021.

Michigan Online Casino Sites

At the moment, internet casinos operate in the Grand Lake State. Available Michigan online casinos include:

  • BetMGM
  • BetRivers
  • Caesars
  • DraftKings
  • FanDuel
  • Golden Nugget
  • Stars
  • WynnBet

You can play for real money at these gaming sites so long as you’re 21+ years old. As always, you also need to be within state lines to gamble.

Thanks to its large population (10 million residents), Michigan features one of America’s most robust online gaming markets. Its casinos collectively offer numerous games and massive bonuses.

Michigan’s leading online casinos include BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and Golden Nugget. Each of these casino sites offers a massive welcome bonus and hundreds of games. Caesars and DraftKings are particularly notable for their bonuses, worth up to $2,000.

Live Dealer Online Casinos in Michigan

Michigan is currently one of the few states that offer legal live dealer casino games. It has been providing live casino games since July 2021, when the Michigan Gaming Control Board approved Evolution Gaming.

Speaking of which, Evolution currently serves all nine active Michigan online casinos. It’ll serve a tenth whenever Barstool Casino MI launches.

Evolution Gaming is the unquestioned leader in live dealer gaming. It offers dozens of live casino games and has some friendliest dealers. Here’s a sample of Evolution’s live dealer games in Michigan:

  • Baccarat
  • Blackjack
  • Cash or Crash
  • Craps
  • Deal or No Deal
  • Dream Catcher
  • European roulette
  • Fan tan
  • Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt
  • Lightening Blackjack
  • Lightning Dice
  • Mega Ball
  • Sic bo

Is Michigan Sports Betting Safe and Fair?

Some gamblers have a difficult time trusting internet gambling. They can’t see the results play out in person and worry that operators could rig games/bets behind the scenes. These concerns are valid in unregulated online gambling markets, often served by unlicensed offshore providers. 

Luckily, though, you can gamble online with more confidence in Michigan. This market features a strong regulator and trustworthy brands.

Who Regulates Legal Online Sportsbooks and Casinos in Michigan?

The Michigan Gaming Control Board regulates online casinos, poker rooms, and sportsbooks in the state. The MGCB has been an experienced regulator in the industry since 1997. It came into existence shortly after commercial casinos were approved in Detroit in November 1996.

This regulator accepts casinos, tribes, online operators, and software providers’ applications. It then vets the applicants to ensure that they pass the state’s standards for fair gaming. After approving an applicant, the MGCB accepts relevant fees and taxes from operators.  

Why Are Michigan Sports Betting Sites Trustworthy?

All licensed Michigan online betting sites, casinos, and poker rooms have received approval from the MGCB. In addition, each operator has proven themselves to the gaming control board and paid the necessary fees.

Of course, these gambling sites also need to uphold the MGCB’s proposed standards. Otherwise, they risk losing their license along with a significant investment.

Additionally, most online gambling sites in Michigan have a strong brand reputation. DraftKings and Caesars, for example, have been serving gamblers for years. So they don’t want to risk these reputations by ripping off players.

How Do I Get Paid After Winning?

You can request a payment using any gambling site’s approved banking options. For example, at BetRivers Casino Michigan, you can cash out with ACH/eCheck, PayPal, Play+ Card, or check by mail. You should receive payment within 1–5 days at most gambling sites outside of a mailed check.

Michigan Sports Betting FAQ

How old do I have to be to gamble online in Michigan?

You must be 21 years old to enjoy Michigan legal online betting, casino games, and poker in this state. You only need to be 18 to play daily fantasy sports or online lottery games in Michigan. In some states, you have to be 19–21 years old to play DFS.

Can I bet on college sports in Michigan?

Yes, legal online betting in Michigan is pretty lax regarding college sports. You can even wager on local teams, such as the University of Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans. The only stipulation is that you can’t be involved with these teams in any manner when wagering on them.

Does DraftKings offer fantasy games in Michigan?

Yes, DraftKings offers a vast array of fantasy games in the Grand Lake State. It provides tournaments, 50/50 (double-ups), Steps, heads-up (cash games), and more. DraftKings Michigan even features Best Ball, a unique season-long format that doesn’t require you to make any transactions past the draft.

Is the FanDuel online casino available in Michigan?

Yes, FanDuel is actually one of the leading online casinos in Michigan. It currently ranks second behind BetMGM with $167.4 million in online casino revenue so far. The FanDuel app is successful thanks to its numerous games, big bonuses, and user-friendly navigation. It also offers 24/7 customer support through email and live chat.

Can I bet at BetMGM in Michigan?

BetMGM is not only available in Michigan but also highly successful here. Anchored by Detroit’s MGM Grand Casino, BetMGM has used its notable reputation to become a leading Michigan online brand