Best Online Casinos In Michigan 2023

Online gambling in Michigan was only legalized last year and yet, players of the Great Lake State can already enjoy the games on more than a dozen sites; We looked deep into the industry to provide all the essential information you need before signing up on any platform. Read on to find out which are the best online casinos in Michigan, the laws that govern them and a few tips to get you started.

Best MI Online Casinos 2023

1
Caesars Online Casino
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9.6
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Caesars NJ online casino is perhaps one of the best out there. In fact, no Caesars online casino review would be complete without mentioning the great selection of games, great customer service contact options, and the excellent level of security. This online casino is well worth spending time on thanks to its great graphics and overall enjoyable atmosphere. Caesars NJ online casino really is here to stay.

2
BetMGM Casino
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  • bullet-iconOver 410 games & Live Dealer available
  • bullet-iconAwesome $1,000 match deposit bonus
  • bullet-iconWide variety of slot games
9.4
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BetMGM online casino is without a doubt one of the best online casinos around. With a very impressive selection of games and a wide range of bonuses and promotions, it’s no wonder this casino is very popular. The customer service options are very good, as is the level of security. BetMGM NJ online casino is well worth visiting.

3
DraftKings Casino
$50 free credits
  • bullet-iconExclusive DraftKings slots & live dealer games
  • bullet-iconWelcome bonus worth up to $2,000
9.4
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Conducting research for this DraftKings Casino online casino review has been a pleasure. This is an online casino that seems to be a cut above the rest. The casino has more than 650 games, great graphics, and a good reputation. With many different bonuses and promotions open to all players, it’s no wonder that this online casino attracts many players. DraftKings Casino really is here to stay.

Table of Contents

Michigan Online Casinos 101

The state doesn’t have as rich of a gambling history as Nevada or New Jersey, and it did take a lot longer to legalize online gambling but it’s now the best state for players in terms of game selection and the number of available online casino platforms. Brick-and-mortar establishment visitors also have many options.
This is how local gambling looks like in a nutshell. 

 

Type

Permitted

Notes

Land-based casinos

Commercial casinos in Detroit, and tribal ones across the state

Online casinos

Players must be physically within the state to play; however, no residency is required

Online poker

Sharing player pools is now possible for gambling sites

Sports betting

 

Daily Fantasy Sports

 

Gambling age

21

The casino gambling age is 21. Horse racing and lottery age limit is 18.

A Brief History Of Gambling In Michigan

The state of Michigan has a long history of gambling, however online casinos are very new to the market. Let’s look at the main events of the past 5 decades. 

 

  • May 1972 – the state lottery is established.
  • Dec 1983 – The first casino in the state opens in the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.
  • 1997 – The first commercial establishments open, governed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
  • Online gambling was legalized on Dec. 20, 2019, when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the Lawful Internet Gaming Act and the Lawful Sports Betting Act.
  • In March 2020, the three Detroit casinos launched their retail sportsbooks.
  • Jan. 22, 2021, – 8 casino platforms and 10 more sports betting sites go live.


All MI online casinos
and Detroit commercial establishments are overseen and licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board or MGCB. 

Licensing Fees And Taxes

Application for a gambling license

$50,000

License fee for 5 years

$100,000

Annual renewal fee

$50,000

Annual gross income tax

20% – 28%

Bonuses & Promotions

With more than a dozen platforms to choose from there are plenty of bonuses claiming opportunities for you. Industry standards apply here and often you’ll be able to claim:

 

  • New players: A welcome bonus when you sign up with a casino. 
  • Existing players: Various loyalty programs, VIP offers, cashback systems and more. 
  • State specific Bonus: BetMGM casino runs an alluring promotion where new players can get A $1,000 match deposit. You can also avail of a $10 free bet upon playing games for $50 and referring a friend can also earn you cash.

     

Their reward program lets you use your online play rewards at MGM Grand Detroit. You may even be able to use your points at other MGM properties, for example in Las Vegas, and get discounts on hotel stays, food and beverage and even shows!

Since all online platforms must partner with land-based establishments, you can often spend your loyalty points at their brick-and-mortar counterparts for various rewards or freebies.

Popular Casino Games In Michigan

Players in the state can enjoy all the different casino games that are available at international platforms worldwide with no restrictions whatsoever. On July 22, 2021, even live dealer games were approved by the MGCB, and more than 10 sites started offering them straight away. So, with the legal game portfolio complete, casinos can offer whatever games they decide. These are the favorite casino games of Michigan players:

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Expert Tip

Michigan’s casinos offer some of the best progressive jackpot slots in the industry, so look out for games such as Divine Fortune and The Big One which is a network of progressive slots found exclusively at BetMGM.

Video Poker

There’s no shortage of video poker titles at Michigan casinos. Three-card poker and Draw poker titles are considered standard and most casinos will have at least a few of these games available.

Blackjack

Virtual blackjack titles are always available at online casinos Michigan. You’ll find games to suit any bankroll. Some games start with a minimum bet of $0.10 while there are high-roller tables available in many casinos. BetMGM has a couple of exclusive blackjack titles, found nowhere else.

Poker

Poker players will find plenty of entertainment online. The state’s casinos can offer a combined pool with players from New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware, so there are a lot more available players. At the moment, you can play poker at BetMGM, PokerStars and WSOP but we expect the number of poker sites to grow in the future.

Roulette

There are many types of roulette games on offer at Michigan online casinos. The most common is American Roulette, but you’ll find the European version as well, that only has one 0 pocket and therefore it offers better odds. Typically, wagers start at $0.25 at virtual roulette.

Live dealer games

All the top casinos offer live dealer games in Michigan. Most titles are the creations of Evolution Gaming, but you’ll also find exclusive productions (for example at BetMGM). Game selections include roulette, baccarat, blackjack, craps, and three-card poker titles.

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Expert Tip

Many online casinos in Michigan will allow you to play many of their games (apart from live dealer titles) for free in demon mode - so you can practice for free before you spend your own real money!

New Casinos In Michigan

Originally 8 casinos hit the market together on the launch date of online gambling, in January 2021.
Since then, quite a few
new sites in MI started operating with these being the latest.

 

Casino

Launch date

Link

Eagle

April 2022

https://playeagle.com/

Barstool

January 2022

https://www.barstoolsportsbook.com/

Fire Keepers

July 2021

https://icasino.firekeeperscasino.com/

PointsBet

May 2021

https://mi.pointsbet.com/

Play Gun Lake

April 2021

https://www.playgunlake.com/casino

Taxes In Michigan

Any casino winnings should be reported on your federal and state income tax returns. You should receive a W-2G form that should clearly show your winnings that year. The site may withhold part of your winnings, but regardless of that, you must report it to the tax authorities. 

 

Tax type

Tax rate

Comment

Federal tax on gambling income

24%

Tax is only payable if winnings are over:

  • $1,200 from slot machines or bingo
  • $1,500 from a keno game
  • $5,000 from poker tournaments 

MI tax on gambling income

4.25%

65% of gambling taxes go to the Internet Gambling Fund, which then goes to the Michigan School Aid Fund.

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Note!

Be careful - if you are too successful, your winnings could move you into a higher tax bracket so consider this when preparing your tax return.

Most Popular Casinos In Michigan

If you are planning to visit the Great Lake state and wonder what the best land-based casinos are, here are our recommendations. 

Top land-based casinos

Top online casinos

MGM Grand Detroit

Caesars Casino and Sportsbook

Four Winds

BetMGM Casino

Firekeeper’s 

Golden Nugget

Soaring Eagle

Borgata

Odawa

Stars

Motorcity

FanDuel 

Important Things To Consider When Playing In Michigan

 

  • Age restriction: Players in the state have lots of legal options both in land-based and online casinos. The legal age is 21 in both cases and all platforms will verify this before they let you deposit on their platforms. 

  • License: All casinos in MI are governed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board and this body also acts as your point of contact should you have a dispute while playing online. You can file a patron dispute electronically and the MGCB will investigate the issue for you.

  • Residency: You don’t have to be a resident to play online casino games in Michigan, however, you must be physically within the state’s borders.
    This is confirmed by the platforms using your phone’s location data reporting system or verifying your computer’s IP address. You can create an account and fund it from outside of the state, but you cannot load the games from outside the state’s borders.
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Note

You will be able to access sites that aren’t licensed in Michigan - but these should be avoided. Unlicensed casinos offer no protection, and you have no way to get your money back if you are swindled.

Conclusion

Online gambling was legalized in the state just over a year ago and yet there are already several state-licensed platforms. With two dozen land-based casinos scattered across the state, some being commercial and the majority tribal. Most offer a variety of games found in traditional casinos plus more. 
The average online casino in Michigan offers over 500 slot games and around 100 table games. Any idea which game you would like to start with?
Whatever it is, keep our tips in mind.

FAQ

The legal age to gamble is 21 in Michigan in both online and on-site casinos.

Michigan now allows many forms of gambling including land-based casinos and online casinos. Sports betting and poker sites are also legal and so are lottery, bingo and scratchcards. 

No, you don’t. Online casinos MI do partner up with land-based casinos, but you don’t have to visit them in person in order to sign up for online play.

You can play all sorts of casino games including slots, poker, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps and much much more!

All the sites we list on this page are legal and licensed. The licensing information is also displayed on the casino’s website for your information.

No, you don’t have to be a Michigan resident to play. However, when launching the games, you’ll have to be in Michigan.

Yes, you can. You can sign up to as many sites as you want. The more sites you sign up for the more welcome bonuses you can claim.