Best Gambling Casino
Now that sports betting became legal in Michigan in 2020, the action at casinos in Michigan is really taking off. Michigan is home to some of the best casinos in the nation.
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From the sleek and modern casinos you’ll find in Detroit to the grandeur of large resort casinos nestled within the picturesque countryside of Upper Michigan, there are gaming destinations in the state that can suit the style of just about anyone.
Here are some of the prime gambling venues in Michigan:
1- Firekeepers Casino Hotel
Located in Battle Creek, Michigan, you’ll discover the stylish gaming resort of Firekeepers Casino Hotel.
Owned and operated by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, this high-end gaming venue is home to a 112,000 square foot gaming floor, a live poker room, bingo room, and over 70 different table games.
With a vast amount of stylized rooms and suites, their Four Diamond AAA Rated hotel has a wide range of restaurants as well as a multipurpose event center.
The casino offers up hundreds of slot machines, crap tables, roulette wheels, poker and poker tournaments, and all of your other favorite card games.
Firekeepers Online Gambling Partnerships
In order to provide the best retail sportsbook experience possible, Firekeepers Casino partnered with Scientific Games Corp. in 2020 as well as online iGaming.
The retail sports betting site will be inside the casino at Dacey’s Taphouse, which will eventually be renamed “Dacey’s Sportsbook.”
This sportsbook will embrace a casual atmosphere unlike the more high-intensity Las Vegas sportsbooks.
They will also offer bettors access to Don Best Sports, a website and app that gives wagerers real-time betting data on odds, lineups, injuries, and game scores.
Firekeepers Poker Room and Table Games
Considered one of the most prestigious in the country, the poker room at Firekeepers regularly has professional tournaments with total prize pools of over a million dollars.
“Poker News” has even designated Firekeepers Poker Room one of the best poker rooms in the country.
The poker room features 26 tables, cell phone charging stations, and free WiFi.
Table games at Firekeepers include baccarat, blackjack, roulette, craps, Mississippi Stud, Pai Gow Poker, Crazy 4 Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em, Let It Ride and 3 Card Poker. They also have bingo tournaments, keno tournaments, and video poker.
On Mondays and Wednesdays, they offer classes that teach craps and on Tuesday and Thursdays, they have courses on roulette. No buy-in is required, so there’s no fear of losing your shirt while you’re learning to play a new game.
Patrons are made to feel most welcome at this casino, and their casino hosts will even be available if you would like a couple of pointers on your game of choice.
Firekeepers Hotel
If you’ve spent a long day leaning over the poker table, the Firekeepers Hotel has comfortable and spacious rooms where you can retire to at the end of the day.
Their rooms, from standard doubles to presidential suites, are designed with a contemporary flair with granite vanities and fireplaces, separate living rooms, and whirlpool baths.
And if you really want to live it up you could book one of their luxury suites with a full kitchen and a grand piano.
After a day of rigorous gaming action, you can make use of their multi-level indoor pool, steam room, sauna, or jacuzzi hot tub.
2- MotorCity Casino Hotel
Local Detroit billionaire, Marian Illitch, owns MotorCity Hotel Casino. This is one of three casinos you can find in Detroit.
Shining brightly amongst the city streets of Detroit is the polished, steel exterior of this impressive hotel and casino.
This high-end hotel and gaming venue offers over 2,700 different slot machines, a poker room, a retail sportsbook, and 60 table games.
MotorCity Online Gambling Partnerships
Like other casinos on this list, MotorCity is in the process of building its own sportsbook in response to sports gambling being legalized in Michigan in 2020. Their sportsbook and online gambling will be provided by FanDuel.
It will be a two-story facility that will feature 67 high-def TVs, 6 betting windows, a display featuring up to the minute scores, 54 betting kiosks, and a VIP area.
With Detroit being the 6th largest gambling market in the U.S, sports betting fans from around the midwest are sure to be arriving at MotorCity in large numbers.
MotorCity Poker Room and Table Games
Open 24 hours a day/7 days a week, their 100,000 square foot gaming floor holds poker tournaments and cash games on a regular basis.
Their 10-table poker room, considered one of the best in Detroit, has No-Limit Texas Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha tournaments and cash games.
They also feature Daily High Hand Jackpots and Bad Beat Jackpots and have tournaments 3 days a week that include Bounty and Deepstack games in addition to guaranteed prize pools every month.
Real money slots at MotorCity feature an interactive audio/video system. Players can gamble on the slots using the MYMotorCity app where you can deposit your money, view special offers, and order a drink without having to leave your seat.
They also have an assortment of 40 linked progressive slot games inside their Lightning Link Lounge where you win totals could quickly add up to extra bonuses.
Their table games include unique games such as Progressive 3-Card Poker and many favorites like baccarat, roulette, blackjack, Spanish 21, craps, Mississippi Stud, Pai Gow Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em.
MotorCity Hotel
The hotel features Detroit’s only AAA 4 Diamond Award-winning restaurant, Iridescence. Located on the 6th floor, this dining experience includes a splendid menu and excellent views of the city skyline.
There are a number of ultra-modern amenities afforded to guests at the MotorCity Hotel. These include imported bed linens, 24-hour room service, high-speed WiFi, and granite-top desks with ergonomic chairs.
They have 33 spacious suites containing the latest technologies, you will also have access to dry cleaning and laundry services in addition to complimentary valet parking.
At MotorCity’s D.Tour Spa, you’ll be able to choose from massage treatments, facial treatments, steam rooms, thermal whirlpools, rain shower installations, and dry saunas.
3- Four Winds Casino Hotel
Located on the banks of Lake Michigan, you’ll find Four Winds Casino and Hotel in New Buffalo, MI.
Among the trio of casinos owned by the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi, this one is their most prominent.
Their gaming venue measures out at 125,000 square feet and contains more than 48 table games and over 2,600 slot machines.
Four Winds and the Pokagon partnered with Scientific Games(SG) Interactive in order to offer its guests access to the free-play online casino, the Play4Fun Network.
Four Winds will most likely be offering sports betting sometime in May 2020, and will probably add a retail sportsbook at some point as well.
The Casino at Four Winds Buffalo
All of the table games and slots at Four Winds are operated by Bally Technologies which are also the same games featured on Four Wind’s free online platform.
For fans of the one-armed bandits, be sure to be on the lookout for the slot games, Cash Connection, and Buffalo Grand. They respectively have starting jackpots of $400,000 and $500,000.
Of the 48 table games they offer some of the most popular are blackjack, roulette, Let It Ride, craps, Mississippi Stud, 3 Card Poker, baccarat, and Pai Gow Plus.
Be also sure to check their custom Electronic Craps table. This high tech version of craps offers instant payouts and fast and exciting play.
Four Winds Hotel
This upscale, 415-room hotel has all the amenities of a luxury hotel, great service, and a variety of comfortable accommodations.
The hotel features a seasonal pool, a pool bar, a 24-hour fitness center, several retail stores, and a supervised play and entertainment area for kids called Kids Quest.
If you opt to make a reservation for one of the suites, you’ll have access to such amenities as whirlpool baths, panoramic views of New Buffalo’s lush forests, master bathrooms, flatscreen TVs with 5 speaker surround sound, and living rooms.
4- MGM Grand Detroit
Voted 4-Stars in the Forbes Travel Guide, the MGM Grand Detroit is the ultimate in luxury gaming and accommodations.
This 400 room casino and hotel features high-end dining, an expansive entertainment venue, great shopping, and an exclusive, contemporary-style spa.
It originally opened as a hotel only, but in 2005 it opened a 100,000 square foot gaming facility.
Open 24/7, this casino offers over 150 table games, 3,500 slot machines, and weekly poker tournaments.
MGM Grand Online Gambling Partnerships
MGM Resorts has partnered with Roar Digital to bring sports betting and real money online gaming to downtown Detroit. The BetMGM Sports Lounge opened in March 2020.
Here at the Sports Lounge, you’ll be able to watch your favorite sporting event while making wagers on those same games. They have 60 large screen HDTVs, 6 betting counters, and 14 self-service betting kiosks.
If you don’t want to wait in line at one of the counters, you can just settle into one of their stadium recliners and make your wager from the BetMGM mobile App.
Also featured at the Sports Lounge, is a full-service bar where you can order a cocktail or a round of craft beers.
MGM Grand Poker Room and Table Games
Conveniently located adjacent to the casino floor, the stylish poker room offers weekly No-Limit Texas Hold ‘em tournaments as well as Pot-Limit Omaha.
They also offer curbside drink service and have 11 large screen TVs featuring the best of the day’s sporting events.
With over 150 different table games in the casino, you’re sure to find a game that suits your gambling style.
For your convenience, they have added an ultra-modern ventilation system to filter the smoke while you try your hand at such games as blackjack, craps, 4-Card Poker, High Tie Blackjack, roulette, Let It Ride, Mississippi Stud, Spanish 21, and Two-Way Monte.
5- Little River Casino Resort
Owned and operated by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, on the banks of Lake Michigan, you’ll find the luxurious and picturesque Little River Casino & Resort.
This resort is a massive gaming destination that resembles a modern lodge nestled amongst a forested setting.
Their 292-room luxury hotel features amenities such as a number of good restaurants as well as a live entertainment center that presents some of the most famous music acts in the country.
The Casino at Little River
The expansive facility includes a 23,000 square foot gaming floor that features over 1,300 slot and video poker machines and dozens of table games with limits that range from $1 to $5000.
Available games include real money blackjack, roulette, craps, Mississippi Stud, Crazy 4 Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em, Let It Ride, and 3 Card Poker.
Their gaming floor is spacious and comfortable, so you won’t have to squeeze through crowds trying to get to the game of your choice. You can also order beers and cocktails right from your seat at the card table.
Amongst the over 1,400 slots and video poker machines that stand out for fans of the one-armed bandits are Dragon Links, Golden Gecko, Celestial Goddesses, Sword of Destiny, and Casablanca.
Little River Hotel
Their hotel offers quiet and comfortable rooms for you to retire to after a long day.
Every room comes with a giant flat-screen TV, a personal safe, 24-hour room service, a coffee maker, and high-speed WiFi.
The hotel also provides a private fitness center, a heated outdoor pool, 2 indoor pools, a spa and salon, a sauna, and a hot tub. You can also book a reservation for one of their luxury suites that come with a separate living area and fireplace.
Conclusion
What are some of the other better casinos in Michigan? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Michigan Online Casinos Live Now!
The Michigan Gaming Control Board officially launched online casinos on January 22, 2021. Additional casinos have launched in February and there are currently a dozen online casino apps launched in Michigan.
These are our editor’s 5 favorite casino apps to launch in Michigan, along with why our editors love them
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List of Online Casinos In Michigan
Here is the full list of the online casino apps that have launched in Michigan.
- TwinSpires
- Barstool Casino
- Four Winds Casino
Legalization Of Online Casinos In Michigan
Michigan legalized online gambling at the end of 2019. It took time, though, for state legislators to finalize rules and regulations and to audit casino apps before they were able to debut in the state. After the law passed, the Michigan Gaming Control Board issued a timeline that anticipated the process would take more than a year. That meant that legal online casino apps wouldn’t launch until sometime in 2021.
Seeing an opportunity to increase state revenue before the close of the year and to make up for lost revenue due to COVID-19 related casino closures, legislators did their best to speed up this process. In 2020, Richard Kalm, the director of the MGCB, said the state was making significant progress and launch was imminent. Unfortunately, they were unable to speed up the process to launch before the end of 2020.
On January 19, the MGCB officially announced that 8 online casino apps were ready to launch on Friday, January 22, 2021. Michigan players greeted the news with eager anticipation. More casinos launched in the weeks that followed.
Launch Of Michigan Online Casino Timeline:
- December 20, 2019: Online gaming legalized
- March 11, 2020: Retail sportsbooks launch in MI
- March 6-August 5, 2020: Detroit’s commercial casinos closed due to COVID-19
- September 23, 2020: MGCB held public hearings
- End of October 2020: Final economic impact statement expected
- November 2020: MGCB hoped to launch in November but gambling rules still need to be approved by legislators who canceled their November session because of Covid-19.
- December 2020: The Michigan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules met on December 1, 2020, to move things forward. The MGCB had to cancel its December meeting due to COVID, meaning the next meeting was not scheduled until January 12, 2021.
- January 19, 2021: The MGCB announced that online gaming apps would launch on January 22, 2021.
- January 22, 2021: The first 8 online casino apps launched in Michigan.
- January 29, 2021: The MGCB announced two more casino apps would launch along with online poker.
- February 16, 2021: The MGCB announced the launch of the Four Winds App, the first Michigan app branded under the name of a Michigan tribal casino.
Included below are the casino apps that led the way in Michigan as well as additional casino partnerships that were announced during 2020. It is unclear when these additional apps will launch. A few other online casino brands may also launch at some point in Michigan.
MI Online Casino Gambling Sites & Apps
Golden Nugget is a well-established name in gambling, with an iconic Las Vegas casino and the most successful online casino in New Jersey. Now, Golden Nugget is in Michigan, thanks to a partnership with Ojibwa Casino, which is owned and operated by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.
Golden Nugget’s Michigan access granted through the partnership allowed the brand to ramp up its online gambling and sports betting business in Michigan.
See our full Guide To Golden Nugget Michigan Online Casino.
FanDuel Michigan Casino
FanDuel may be known for its sportsbook, but it also has an online casino. FanDuel’s online casino is available through its existing sportsbook app, and MotorCity Casino Hotel’s partnership gives FanDuel access to Michigan’s online gaming market.
The online casino was only available in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, making Michigan its third state.
In New Jersey, bettors will see FanDuel’s online casino under the Betfair brand name. It has blackjack, roulette, and baccarat games ready to entice new bettors. For bettors who want a more realistic experience, Betfair’s (read: FanDuel’s) online casino has a thriving live betting section available for all sorts of table games.
Finally, this online casino is filled to the brim with slot games. Whatever brightly colored theme bettors are attracted to, their taste is catered to in this wide selection of games.
WynnBet Casino Michigan
The WynnBet Casino Michigan app is available for iOS and Android devices and offers around 150 different games. The same platform also offers sports betting, so you can do both using the same account.
You can find some of the most popular slots at WynnBet Casino, including Monopoly Megaways and Divine Fortune. The full selection consists of the following games:
- Classic and Video Slots
- Progressive Slots
- Casino Poker (Digital and Live Dealer)
- Blackjack (Digital and Live Dealer)
- Roulette (Digital and Live Dealer)
- Live Dealer Baccarat
- Live Dealer Dream Catcher
New players at WynnBet Casino in Michigan can receive up to 200 free spins on the Divine Fortune slot machine along with a deposit bonus of up to $1,000 dollars. Each free spin is worth $0.20, so it’s an exciting welcome bonus that you won’t find anywhere else in Michigan.
Really, the WynnBet Casino is an extra feature to complement the WynnBet Sportsbook. But for an add-on, there’s a lot to enjoy.
BetRivers Michigan
Little River Casino Resort in Manistee Michigan is partnering with Scientific Games and Rush Street Interactive to launch its BetRivers Online Casino.
The agreement, announced in June 2020, brings Rush Street Interactive, parent company to the BetRivers online gaming brand, to Michigan. Little River Casino Resort’s partnership with Rush Street Interactive also includes retail sports betting.
The big names backing the BetRivers Casino means some of the top online slots are now in Michigan. And BetRivers has a massive library of slots, including progressive slot jackpots. They also are offering blackjack, several varieties of roulette, and baccarat.
BetMGM Michigan
Roar Digital is currently providing a sportsbook to the MGM Grand in Detroit, but it has an online casino, too. It has several apps, including BetMGM and PartyCasino.
Bettors will find familiar table games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. They’ll also find live dealers available who will deal cards and call wins and losses in real-time, just like a regular table. Roar Digital also has countless slot games that are just as colorful as anything on the Strip.
DraftKings is also known mostly for its sportsbook but is quickly gaining a reputation for a strong online casino in a handful of states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
DraftKings Sportsbook and Draftkings Casinolaunched in the state as a license partner of Bay Mills Resort & Casino.
William Hill Casino
William Hill is a world-renowned sportsbook based in the UK and available in several US states. And the launch of the William Hill Casino Michigan means this brand has an exciting opportunity to reinvent itself, which can only be a good thing for players.
Michigan is expected to be one of the most competitive online betting markets in the US, so you can look forward to a wide range of promotions at William Hill Casino. From the initial welcome offer to ongoing bonuses, both new and established members will have a lot of opportunities to win for free.
TwinSpires Casino Michigan
With over 400 different games, TwinSpires Michigan Casino has something for almost everyone. This includes progressive slots with over $1 million jackpots, digital table games, and Live Dealer rooms.
For those in Michigan, you can switch from your TwinSpires Casino account to the sportsbook or horse racing section, all through the same account. This makes it a true all-in-one online betting site and app.
The TwinSpires Casino Michigan welcome bonus is risk-free betting for the first seven days up to $500. That means if you win more than you lose, you can simply withdraw your winnings or keep playing. But if you lose more than you win, they’ll credit the difference back into your account.
You can also try out all the digital games for free in practice mode before you sign up as well, offering great transparency to those considering joining TwinSpires Casino Michigan.
Stars Casino
Thanks to a partnership with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indian Gaming Authority, The Stars Group is in two casinos:
- Odawa Casino, Mackinaw
- Odawa Casino, Petoskey
The Stars Group is probably not as well recognized a brand in the online gaming group as its branded apps are. Stars Group operates FOX Bet Sportsbook, PokerStars, and the Stars Casino, which all launched in Michigan at the end of January 2021.
Barstool Casino
Barstool is most known for its Barstool Sportsbook app and its dedicated group of sports fans. On February 1, 2021, though, Barstool launched Barstool Casino in Michigan in partnership with Greektown Casino in Detroit. Barstool Sportsbook was one of the first sports betting apps to launch in Michigan, with the casino app launching just days later.
The Barstoool Casino app is supported by casino gaming brand Penn National Gaming, which players might be familiar with through its Hollywood Casino brand in Pennsylvania. It will be interesting to see how online gamblers find the Barstool Casino app, or if it will mostly attract traditional sports bettors.
Four Winds Casino App
Poker, roulette, and of course blackjack are available on the Four Winds Casino App, now available on web browsers, Android devices, and iOS devices. The Four Winds app provides access to both online sports betting and casino gaming from one app.
New to online casino gambling? Four Winds gives you new member specials, like a $20 free bet and a 200% deposit bonus.
Michigan Online Casinos Announced
In addition to the casinos that launched on January 22, 2021, there are several additional casino brands that announced partnerships with local casinos. It is unclear when these apps will launch.
PointsBet
PointsBet joins forces with the Lac Vieux Desert Public Enterprise and Finance Commission (LVD) to offer online casino gaming and sports betting under the license of Northern Waters Casino Resort.
The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians owns Northern Waters Casino Resort. Per the agreement, it appears that both the online sports betting and casino products under this license will function as a collaboration between PointsBet and LVD.
FireKeepers Casino
Scientific Games is currently providing its technology to power the live sportsbook at FireKeepers Casino and Hotel. A FireKeepers online casino is slated to launch in Michigan, also in collaboration with Scientific Games.
Online casino sites powered by Scientific Games technology in other states include blackjack, slots, roulette, and baccarat. There are also live dealers available for bettors looking for a realistic casino experience.
Scientific Games offers so many different games because of its content aggregation service. It uses its vast web of partnerships to provide access to many different games. When online casinos come to Michigan, BetRivers will have a massive selection of games to offer their customers.
Online Casinos That Could Come To Michigan
Unibet
Unibet does business as a well-established international gaming brand that’s beginning to expand into the legal US sports betting and online casino industry. Unibet started its US business plan with online gaming platforms in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.
Unibet has an agreement with Caesars Entertainment (now owned by Eldorado Resorts) to launch online gaming in states with Caesars-owned properties. Caesars/Eldorado Resorts doesn’t own any casinos in Michigan, however.
The Pennsylvania and New Jersey versions of the Unibet platform operate in agreements outside of the Caesars partnership, however. A similar arrangement could bring Unibet online casino to Michigan.
Caesars Online Casino
With the success of Caesar’s online casino app in New Jersey and Michigan, we anticipate that they will launch in Michigan as well. If not in partnership with Unibet, they could seek a partnership with a local Michigan casino to launch in 2021.
Commerical Casino Partnerships
Michigan’s casino industry includes three Detroit-area commercial casinos, as well as 23 tribal casinos located throughout the state. Online partnerships for the three commercial casinos are as follows:
Site | Commercial Casino | Live Dealer Available? | Launch Date |
---|---|---|---|
FanDuel Casino | MotorCity Casino Hotel | TBD | 1/22/21 |
BetMGM | MGM Grand - Detroit | TBD | 1/22/21 |
Barstool Casino | GreekTown Casino | TBD | 2/1/21 |
Tribal Casino Partnerships
In a situation unique to Michigan, both tribal and commercial casinos can partner with technology companies to offer legal online casino gaming. Several of the state’s tribal casinos already announced agreements to launch online sports betting, and those partnerships are as follows:
Site | Tribal Casino | Live Dealer Available? | Launch Date |
---|---|---|---|
Golden Nugget | Ojibwa Casino, Baraga & Marquette | Yes | 1/22/21 |
BetRivers Casino | Little River Casino Resort | Yes | 1/22/21 |
DraftKings Casino | Bay Mills Resort & Casinos | Yes | 1/22/21 |
William Hill | Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (Turtle Creek & Leelanau Sands Casinos) | Yes | 1/22/21 |
Wynn Casinos | Kewadin Casino (Christmas, Hessel, Manistique, Sault Sainte Marie, St. Ignace) | Yes | 1/22/21 |
TwinSpires (formerly BetAmerica) | Island Resort & Casino Bark River | N/A | 1/22/21 |
Stars Casino | Odawa Casino Resort, Petoskey & Mackinaw | Yes | 1/29/21 |
Four Winds | Four Winds Dowagiac, Hartford & New Buffalo | N/A | 2/15/21 |
FireKeepers | FireKeepers Casino & Hotel, Battle Creek | Yes | |
Parx Casino | Gun Lake Casino, Wayland | N/A | |
PointsBet | Northern Waters Casino Resort, Watersmeet | N/A | |
N/A | Kings Club Casino, Brimley | N/A | |
N/A | Saganing Eagles Landing Casino, Standish | N/A | |
N/A | Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mt. Pleasant | N/A |
What Are Online Casinos And What Do They Offer?
Online casinos are apps and websites that offer casino games from the comfort of players’ homes. Some of them involve real money, while others are free-to-play social games. They offer the kinds of card games bettors would expect to find at a casino, including blackjack, roulette, and on some websites, baccarat. But there are also slot games and games with live dealers available for those who want a real casino experience.
Even better, many of these online casinos offer bonuses to new bettors.
Online Casino Bonuses
One of the ways that online casinos–and most online gaming products–entice new bettors is by offering bonuses on the first few bets. There are two major types of bonuses. The first is a welcome bonus that puts money in a bettor’s account (with strings attached). The second offers risk-free bets, which act more like insurance than truly free bets.
Welcome Bonuses
Welcome bonuses are what they sound like. When bettors sign up and verify their accounts, online casinos will deposit a little extra money. Some bonuses arrive in customer accounts upon sign up and verification, like this $25 deposit from Hollywoodcasino.com. These are called no-deposit bets, because bettors don’t have to deposit their own money to earn a bonus. They also tend to be small amounts.
Deposit bets on the other hand require bettors to put money into their account before getting anything back. Take this $500 bonus from Hollywoodcasino.com that matches deposits up to $500. That means for every dollar a new bettor deposits into his account, Hollywood.com will add one dollar, until it pays out $500.
This matching makes it easier for bettors to pour money into their accounts and make larger bets. Online casinos want bettors to make multiple wagers and learn to enjoy them. Based on how widespread welcome bonuses are, this tactic seems to work quite effectively.
Risk-Free Bets
Despite the name, risk-free bets do require bettors to risk some money before receiving a free bet. This Golden Nugget Casino welcome offer spells the deal out pretty clearly. Bettors must place a wager, then get up to $100 back if they lose. It’s more of a refund for a lost bet than a risk-free bet. Some bettors may not think much of a small refund for a losing bet, but it can make anxious new bettors willing to give online casinos a try.
What’s The Difference Between Legal And Illegal Online Casinos?
Like online sportsbooks, online casinos have tell-tale signs that indicate their legitimacy. There are a few signs that bettors can watch for when they’re looking for legitimate online casinos in Michigan next year.
First, all online gambling websites must display the compulsive gambling hotline on their websites. It’s required by law in Michigan, and bettors will be hard-pressed to find any legitimate online gambling websites without it.
However, Michiganders will have a particularly easy time identifying legitimate websites. All online casinos must be partnered with eligible land-based casinos. These sites must also display proof of their license reasonably clearly.
These are important signs of quality to watch for. Missing them could lead bettors to risk funneling money into an account that will never pay out.
How Online Casinos Are Regulated
Commercial online casinos must be licensed by their state gaming boards before they’re allowed to go live in any given state. Michigan’s online casinos will be regulated by the Michigan Gaming Control Board–pending written regulations, of course.
However, tribal casinos have their own regulatory body. The National Indian Gaming Commission writes and enforces regulations on tribal casinos across the country. Tribes run casinos themselves, but the National Indian Gaming Commission must review and approve each tribe’s gaming compacts.
And to top it all off, all these regulatory bodies require casinos to pay bettors their winnings. Legitimate online casinos will not only pay winnings, but they will also have processes to resolve customer disputes. The same cannot be said for offshore scam sites accountable to no one.
How Bettors Collect Their Winnings From Online Casinos
Bettors get paid from online casinos by withdrawing from their gaming accounts. For example, FanDuel will process withdrawals through:
- PayPal
- Bank Transfer
- Check in the mail
It’s just a matter of bettors checking the option to withdraw in their online accounts. Remember though, non-cash bonuses don’t count toward cash withdrawals. A “free spin” worth $100 isn’t a free $100. Unless it’s hard-won cash, it doesn’t count toward a bettor’s withdrawals.
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Everything Else Bettors Need To Know About Online Casinos In Michigan
Online casinos are already in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and a few other states. They offer familiar staples like:
- Roulette
- Baccarat (albeit not universally)
Many, but not all, online casinos also offer live dealers for many of these games.
Although online gaming is legal, the regulations governing licensing and online operations still need to be written. Those regulations won’t be ready until 2021, but that hasn’t stopped Michigan’s casinos from preparing.
Every Michigan casino with a sportsbook deal has partnered with a company that also offers an online casino. PointsBet is the only sportsbook operator without an online casino, but its partnership with Penn National Gaming could give its partner casino access to online casino products in 2021.
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As industrious Michiganders explore the online casino landscape, they should watch for signs that the online casino they’re browsing is legitimate. State-licensed online casinos will:
- Partner with licensed land-based Michigan casinos
- Display the compulsive gambling hotline number on its website
- Show clear evidence of its license per Michigan state law
The online casino landscape is dense, but it’s part of the ongoing evolution of the gaming industry. It began with sports betting legalization, but the wave of innovation sweeping the country’s gaming industry will bring online casinos to Michigan next.
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There’s a lot to digest about the impending arrival of online casinos to Michigan. Here are a few questions that either come up often from new bettors or which may need clarification on their own.
There are only two entities that can apply for an online gaming license:
-Casino licenses holders.
-Eligible tribal casinos.
Michigan is keeping tight control over its gaming industry by only allowing online gaming to come from licensed casinos. It’s a way for Michigan to stave off scam sites that accept bets but never pay out winnings. It’s also probably how lawmakers appealed to gambling opponents to assure them that gambling would be a respectable industry in Michigan.
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Only people 21 and older and who are not in the online casino’s self-exclusion database. The age requirement is straightforward, but the self-exclusion database may not be.
The self-exclusion database is a voluntary measure to protect problem gamblers from themselves. Bettors can register themselves so gambling outlets will refuse to let them gamble. Unless a bettor struggles with a gambling problem, it’s not a list that most bettors have to worry about.
Anywhere from 20% to 28%, depeding on how much revenue the casino produces. It’s on page nine of the bill legalizing internet gambling in Michigan.
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DraftKings announced a partnership with Bay Mills Resort & Casios to operate its online sportsbook as well as its online casino. Both apps launched on January 22, 2021.
FanDuel was one of the first online casino apps to launch in Michigan. They opened their retail sportsbook at Motor City Hotel & Casino in Detroit in 2020. FanDuel launched its online casino and sportsbook as well for Michigan bettors.
No. Sportsbooks are specifically for betting on sports games. Online casinos offer casino games. The reason sportsbooks came up so often in this article is that the Michigan Gaming Control Board created rules governing sportsbooks first. Retail sportsbooks started opening in Michigan in early 2020 whereas online casinos and online sportsbooks have not yet launched.