Michigan's Trusted Source For Legal Betting & Online Wagering

About Us and Our Comprehensive Coverage

We have a team on the ground in Michigan with extensive knowledge of the state’s market, from sports wagering to internet poker and real money casino sites. Our experienced team regularly evaluates and reviews legal Michigan betting apps and sites. We report and update when new products, casino games and sites are introduced.

Here, bettors will find dedicated pages on specific topics such as:

• Michigan sports betting
• Michigan online poker
• Michigan horse race betting
• Michigan gambling taxes
• Michigan online casino sites
• Michigan casino bonuses
• Michigan casino apps

All You Need to Know About Legal Wagering in Michigan

In addition to updated news coverage, GreatLakesStakes.com provides resources from applicable state agencies, including the Michigan Gaming Control Board ( www.michigan.gov./mgcb ), which regulates operators in the state. This enables you to gain access to:

• Licensing information
• Casino revenues and wagering tax information
• Michigan Gaming Control & Revenue Act regulations
• Michigan tribal casino news, locations and information

As the state’s menu of options continues to expand, bettors can expect additional resources, with the goal to make GreatLakesStakes.com the most comprehensive Michigan wagering information site.

Launch Dates

Michigan already allowed commercial and tribal casinos when lawmakers enacted sweeping expansion legislation, signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in December 2019. The expansion included in-person and mobile sports betting, online casino wagers, online poker and Daily Fantasy Sports.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board adopted rules and regulations for each. Launch dates overview:

In-person sports betting: Began in March 2020 with the state’s first sports bet at MGM Grand Detroit.

Online sports betting, casinos & poker: Online sports betting and mobile casinos launched on Jan. 22, 2021. Online poker launched on Jan. 29, 2021.

Daily Fantasy Sports: Industry leaders DraftKings and FanDuel were already operating in Michigan. Lawmakers formally legalized Daily Fantasy Sports, adding regulation and a tax structure.

Products Available in Michigan

Michigan offers one of the widest range of options in the U.S., including:

• Legal online sports wagering, online casino stakes (slots, blackjack, other casino-style games) and internet poker, launched in January 2021.
• Commercial casinos with slots and table games at three Detroit casinos and 23 licensed tribal casinos across the state.
• In-person sports betting at Detroit casinos and most tribal casinos.
• Live poker rooms throughout the state and casino poker rooms.
• Pari-mutuel wagering on live harness racing and simulcast horse racing.
• Online horse racing using advance deposit wagering platforms (TVG, TwinSpires, etc.).
• Daily Fantasy Sports
• Bingo
• Lottery

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Online Operators Available in Michigan

All of the biggest online sportsbooks and casino operators have announced deals to operate in Michigan. Some are partnered with the state’s three commercial casinos in Detroit, others with Native American tribal casinos around the state.

The list of Michigan online operators and the land-based Michigan partners that they are affiliated with:

Michigan Revenue Numbers

Detroit casinos handled a record $15.7 million in retail sports betting revenue in August 2020, according to the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB). It wasn’t a difficult record to set — casino sportsbooks opened in March but closed less than a week later due to the coronavirus and did not reopen until August (at 15% capacity). In early 2021, the retail sports betting handle was at least $23 million for each month; the figure hit a high of $46.1 million in October 2020.

And that was just for retail. The mobile sports betting numbers were much higher, with handle hitting at least $237 million in each month from February to May 2021, peaking at $359 million in March. After a summer lull that's typical throughout the country, Michigan sportsbooks broke their total sports betting handle record (mobile and retail combined) during the 2021 football season, breaking $500 million for the first time in November 2021 then surpassing that mark with $514.6 million in December.

Detroit casinos had combined revenue of $69 million in August 2020, about 40% less than the previous August, due to the pandemic. Revenue from slots and tables games exceeded $120 million in January and February, before the pandemic hit. But by early 2021 the three commercial casinos were recording solid numbers again, surpassing $100 million each month in revenue from March through December.

Michigan Laws & Regulation

Highlights of some of Michigan’s most important wagering laws:

Commercial casinos: Voters in 1996 approved the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act, allowing up to three privately owned casinos within Detroit city limits. MGM Grand Detroit was the first to open in 1999, followed by MotorCity Casino and Greektown.

Tribal casinos: Michigan is home to 23 licensed tribal casinos, owned by 12 federally recognized Native American tribes. Because Native American tribes are sovereign nations, the state has no regulatory approval over tribal casinos. The state does have oversight authority over written compacts between the tribes and the state.

Gambling age: The legal gambling age to wager at Detroit’s three casinos is 21. The same for online in the state. However tribal casinos can establish their own age requirements, with some setting a minimum age of 18. The minimum age in Michigan to wager on pari-mutuel racing and lottery is 18.

Tax Rates: Michigan commercial casino gaming revenue is taxed at 19% (10.9% to city of Detroit, 8.1% to state). Michigan’s tax rate for sports betting is 8.4%, with the three Detroit casinos paying an additional 1.2% to the city. The state’s online gaming tax rates are set at 20-28%, depending on total adjusted gross revenue.

Regulation: The Michigan Gaming and Control Board is responsible for all regulation and licensing of the state’s commercial casino gaming and sportsbook operations.