Best Michigan Online Casinos 2024

Michigan Online Casinos Summary

Online gambling is a sensitive subject for US players as while the country is regarded as one of the top hubs in the world for land-based gambling (mainly in Vegas and Atlantic City), online gambling has been on the back burner for years.

Online gambling was legalized in 2019, but Michigan online casino sites started being granted licenses and operating only in 2021, thus making all online casino Michigan sites, new casino sites.

As is the case of most US states with regulated gambling, the legal gambling age at Michigan online casino sites is 21 and over. 

All legal, fair and safe Michigan online casinos operate under a license from the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB). The tax rates that apply are a 24% federal tax as well as 4.25% state tax. 

Even though new in this game, Michigan online casinos are prepared to offer you a great experience, with all types of games available, great promotions and a wide range of payment methods like Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Play+, bank transfer and PayNearMe.

How Online Casinos Michigan are Regulated

The MGCB regulates all gambling in the state. The board is made up of five members and an executive director who can only be appointed by the governor who has the consent of the Senate. 

The board does not have the authority to regulate the state’s tribal casinos, but it does have the power to oversee the compliance of the tribes to the state-tribal compacts. 

The lottery is not regulated by the MGCB, but it is overseen by the MBST, the Michigan Bureau of State Lottery.

There is a 20% to 28% casino tax rate, adjusted by gross income, with a 24% average. Detroit casinos have an extra 1.25% tax. 

In order to apply for a license, operators must pay a $50000 application fee, a $100000 5-year license fee, and a $50000 annual renewal fee. Online Michigan casino operators may only have one brand each.

65% of gambling taxes go to the Internet Gambling Fund, and a huge chunk of this money in this fund go into the Michigan School Aid Fund. 

Who Can Play at MI Online Casinos?

The main takeaway is that players must be over 21 years old, located within the Michigan state lines, and able to provide documentation verifying their identity.

Both for casino games and sports betting the same age limit applies. And so does the state lines rule, as the law was designed to be on par with the rules of physical casinos.

The online casino Michigan where you wish to play will use your SSN (social security number) to verify your age and your identity. You might have to send copies of your ID before you are allowed to make a withdrawal. Geolocation technology will be used to check your location – if you are using a desktop system, the IP address will be used, and if you’re using a mobile device, then the GPS data will be used. 

This is to check that you are truly in Michigan. Players detected to be from outside the state, will not be granted access to the real money online casino Michigan, you will only be allowed to try demo games. 

While it’s not required that you live in Michigan, you must be in the state when you register an account and use it. 

If you are outside of state lines, depending on where you are, you will only get access to casinos that are licensed by one of the other regulating bodies of the US:

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia
• Connecticut
• Delaware

Michigan Gambling History

• 1992 – The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) is in place and online gambling is banned in Michigan and the entirety of the US, except for Nevada. 
• 2016 – Senator Kowall proposed 10% taxes and a $5 million licensing fee for operators. At first, it had some success, but by the end of the year the bill fell through. 
• 2017  – Kowall kept trying to expand gambling but concerns appear over the legislation and how it could impact tribal gambling compacts in MI. 
• 2018 – The PASPA is ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. Iden’s bill has a new tax rate of 8% and also allows tribes to offer gambling services on-line under their respective compacts. The tribes shall be regulated by the MGCB. But Iden’s bill didn’t gain traction before clearing a full House vote and moving to the Senate. The online gambling bill will include provisions for other gambling products as well.
• March 2019 – Iden tries a reboot of the Lawful Internet Gaming Act and requests higher tax rates than those in the vetoed Snyder bill. Iden wanted up to 40% taxes for casino games and 15% for sports odds.
• October 2019 – Whitmer tries to exclude video slots from the gambling legislation so that lottery revenues would not suffer. Both gambling bills are cleared by the House without Whitmer’s support.
• December 2019 – The bill moves to the Senate. Whitmer signs the deal.
• February 2020 – Casinos start preparing for the March 2020 date proposed by the MGCB, but temporary closures across the board stop everything.
• May 2020 – The MGCB starts accepting online gambling license applications to boost the economy. 
• July 2020 – Brick and mortar casinos begin to re-open. There are some delays but many pieces of legislation pass in hearings. Golden Nugget makes a deal with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community to offer online gambling options through the Ojibwa Casino. DraftKings also makes a move to enter the gaming scene.
• September 2020 – MGCB has a public hearing about the laws on betting and gives a provisional online license to 15 providers, with a mid-January 2021 launch. GLI is authorized to begin testing games.
• October 2020 – ​​Interstate poker passes in the Senate and moves to the House of Representatives. A new law allows the removal of names from a self-exclusion list as responsible gambling measures are still not 100% settled.
• January 2021 – MGCB allows Michigan online casino sites to go live. Players in MI can now play at several licensed, regulated and safe casinos. Poker is the only gambling game missing, but it is expected to follow suit. 
• 2022 – Online gambling is now legal. Players can enjoy casino games, horse racing, sports bets, daily fantasy, lottery, bingo, charitable gambling and poker. 

How We Picked the Best Online Casinos Michigan

There was a long testing process that went into picking the best online casino Michigan sites that we would add to this list. We did our research, analysed every aspect and really put ourselves in the shoes of our users. Below you will find all the main points that we took into account when deciding. 

SlotsCalendar Advice: Michigan online casinos are all newly launched considering that all of them hit the market after January 2021. This means that all of them are new Michigan online casino sites so they are all trying their best to convince you that they are the best option. Consequently, you will find great promotions and some great perks for signing up. And this is your best chance to make the most of this unique moment.

Bonuses & Promotions

Since real money online casino Michigan sites are all new, they are trying to recruit new users as well as retain them and turn them into loyal customers. This means that they will try their hardest to create truly attractive bonuses (especially welcome offers and no deposit bonuses). You may expect good bonuses with low wagering requirements and forgiving terms and conditions. Some websites also have a VIP program in place already. We’ve compared the bonuses for all legal casinos in MI and chose only the best to be featured on this list.

Safety & Support

Safety is crucial so we only list casinos that are already licensed by the MGCB and protected with SSL encryption. Also, we’re searching for casinos that believe that responsible gambling is key and they take measures to make sure that all players are safe and that they can rely on a good customer suppor team to guide them.  

Mobile Options

At this time, most people in the world own a mobile device and they spent almost every waking moment close to it or using it. So, of course, it’s imperative that online casino Michigan operators would allow their users to play their favourite games on any device, including smartphones and tablets. 

That’s why we take into account the mobile version as well. If it has the same games and functionalities as the desktop version, if a mobile app exists, and even how easy it is to use. 

Payment Methods Available

Many people choose a casino Michigan by what banking options it has. This happens because not all people are familiar with all payment methods or have them and they don’t wish to create accounts and have to deal with this hassle. 

So operators that have the largest number of different payment methods have the upper hand as everyone can find something they are comfortable with. 

Game Variety

The main purpose of gambling is having fun playing games. So games are a very important factor in choosing the best online casino Michigan sites. We look at how many games are available, if all different types can be played (slots, table games, live dealer, bingo, poker etc) and if there are titles from many popular software providers.

MI Online Casinos Mobile & Casino Apps

As we were saying before, in this day and age it’s imperative that all online casino Michigan sites have a mobile presence. Since you have your phone with you at all times, you should be able to do anything you are able to do on a desktop or laptop from your device of choice. 

This means claiming mobile casino bonuses, making deposits and withdrawals, playing all games, anything you want. 

Luckily, all Michigan online casino sites that have a license at the moment will allow you to enjoy yourself on mobile. You just enter the website through a browser and you may play right away with no download required.  

Some operators have also created casino apps, either for Android or iOS or for both operating systems, so you can have the same experience without even having to use your browser and search for the site. Michigan casino apps are quite new, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t work properly. 

Online Michigan Casinos Responsible Gambling

Online gambling should only be a form of entertainment, but for some it can become an issue. Players and operators must be aware of this at all times and make sure to see the signs early and take serious measures to not let it get too far. 

Luckily, the state of Michigan is committed to making sure that all those in trouble will get help. All the regulated casinos have responsible gambling options like setting limits for time spent playing, deposits and losses. They also allow and encourage players to self-exclude for different time frames. 

All casinos are required by state law to provide customers with information about responsible gambling and support. The state gives $500000 annually from the online gambling taxes to programs against problem gambling. 

In case you need professional help you can get it here:

• Michigan Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-270-7117)
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
• Health Management Systems of America Gambling Treatment Program
• Gamblers Anonymous
• Michigan Disassociated Persons List (1-888-223-3044)

SlotsCalendar Advice: Never let the fun turn into something bad. Use all the options available to you to spot any issue early and treat it before it gets worse. When playing casino games stops being fun, you should stop playing and seek help. 

Most Popular Games at Michigan Casinos Online

All the games you can think of are now legal to play in MI. you can enjoy them for real money or even go for Michigan online casino free play versions if you wish to practice in demo mode.

Out of all the many games available, these are the most popular types currently; 

• slots – Slots are the most popular games everywhere in the world. You will find hundreds of great titles available. Michiganians really appreciate slots from IGT and Bally and from other super popular software providers. 
• live dealer – live blackjack, live roulette and live baccarat are top favourites in MI. this is because they offer similar experience to that of landbased casinos, but from the comfort of your home. 
• table games – Most MI online casinos offer table games. Their selections often include craps, baccarat, blackjack or roulette.
• novelty games – Novelty games are either different poker variations like Three Card Poker or Caribbean Stud, for example, or could be bingo, scratchcarsd and keno. 

Online Michigan Casino Bonuses

The promotions you can get at MI online casinos are similar to those you can get in other states or countries. Of course, you can claim deposit match bonuses like welcome bonuses and reload offers to help you play for longer periods of time and with bigger bets and improve your winning chances. 

But here, as well as everywhere else in the world, it’s the no deposit bonus offers that really take the cake. You can claim a Michigan online casino no deposit bonus which will offer you a certain free cash sum (generally, $5 or $10) with which you can play most games and test what the casino has to offer with no risks and no deposits required. 

Another fan favourite are the free bonuses spins no deposit which allow you to play slots for free and withdraw what you manage to win, assuming that you’ve fulfilled the wagering requirements, of course. 

MI players can also enjoy a type of promotion that we don’t see that often, cashback bonuses. Some casinos make sure that your first time at the casino won’t come with a loss and transform your firs tocuple of bets into free bets, meaning that if you do lose, you get a percentage or the full amount back to try again. 

Deposits & Withdrawals at Michigan Online Casinos

• Play+ – The Play+ card is one of the most popular ways to deposit and withdraw. It’s super easy to apply for it as you just go to the cashier and apply online. It’s generally branded to match the casino you’re playing at. It will take about 14 days to get it. You can transfer funds from your debit or credit card and then use the Play+ card to deposit. Both deposits and withdrawals are super fast. Play+ skips over the fact that some banks still do not wish to allow transactions to operators. 
• PayPal – PayPal is one of the most well-known and used banking methods worldwide. Just link your PayPal account to your bank account and the money should be transferred. All payments are instant. 
• Debit or Credit Card – Check to see if your bank allows gmbling transactions. But if it does, it’s insanely easy to use. Just keep in mind that withdrawals can take up to 3 working days with this method.
• ACH/bank transfer – Bank transfers should only be used for large deposits and/or withdrawals as a fee of $15 to $20 will be applied for the transaction. But when other payment methods are limited, this one works.
• PayNearMe – PayNearMe is a service operated from convenience stores. You deposit using cash. You must go to the cashier and get a code for the deposit you desire to make. Go to a PayNearMe facility, make the deposit and the funds should appear in your account shortly.
• Check – E-checks are like regular paper check. You use the numbers written on your paper checks and enter them when prompted. It will take between three and six business days to get your cash. 
• Cash at Casino Cage – Some online sites allow you to make deposits and withdrawals at the partner casino’s cage. But you will have to go to the brick and mortar establishment.

Casinos Michigan Highlights

• The Michigan Gaming Control Board controls online casinos in this state.
• All types of games are available and legal in Michigan, not just slots and table games, but also racebooks, bingo and poker
• The state has clear rules for responsible gambling, encourages it and even pays $500000 per year to help those in need.
• The 24% federal tax + 4.25% state tax paid by operators go to The Michigan School Aid Fund that helps over 800 schools.
• Many popular payment methods are available widely, including Play+.
• New Michigan online casino sites have been launched constantly since 2021. 
• The online gambling MI sector has brought in $2 billion in revenue since being legalised, surpassing all other newly regulated states.