Whether it’s Michigan online casinos, sports betting or horse racing, bettors like yourself have more choices than ever before if you want to get in on the action! You can trust this site to provide you with the most up-to-date, state-specific information on the best Michigan wagering sites.
Part of our mission is to consistently provide up-to-date Michigan online gambling news and developments. We do that with stories, blogs and social media, and even provide ways to participate in the rule-making process with links to Michigan Gaming Control Board public hearings in which questions, comments and suggestions from the public are permitted and encouraged.
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:
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:
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.
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.
Michigan offers one of the widest range of options in the U.S., including:
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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:
Online operator | License holder |
---|---|
BetMGM Michigan | MGM Grand Detroit |
FanDuel Michigan | MotorCity Casino |
Penn National Gaming | Greektown Casino |
BetRivers Michigan | Little River Casino Resort |
DraftKings Michigan | Bay Mills Resorts & Casino |
Parx | Gun Lake Casino |
BetAmerica | Island Resort & Casino |
GAN | Kewadin casino properties |
PointsBet Michigan | Northern Waters Casino |
Fox Bet Michigan | Odawa Casinos |
Golden Nugget Casino Michigan | Ojibwa Casinos |
Caesars Palace Online Casino | Turtle Creek Casino |
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.
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.
Yes, it is. In December of 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed off on a package of bills legalizing online sports betting and casino games. Subsequently, Michigan’s online gambling platforms launched on January 22, 2021. It has been legal in the state ever since.
While you can be as young as 18 to play the lottery in Michigan or gamble on-site at some of Michigan's tribal casinos, all online gambling platforms mandate a minimum age of 21. The minimum age to gamble at the three Detroit commercial casinos is also 21.
Not at all. You do, however, have to be physically in the state of Michigan in order to place bets. Legally operated online casinos in Michigan have technology to detect whether or not you're in state lines before allowing you to gamble.
It’s part of our mission to be a resource for gambling education and provide support information to Michigan bettors who may have a casino or sports betting problem. We provide contacts for support groups such as the Michigan Problem Gambling Hotline (https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/) and links for ways to help prevent gambling addiction, such as setting deposit and wagering limits and how to self-exclude from wagering for any period of time.
Author
With a decade in the media and gambling space in Michigan, I aim to bring you the latest news and developments in Michigan online casino and sports betting.
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