Sports betting is legal in the Great Lake State. The first retail sportsbooks opened their doors in Michigan on 11 March 2020, with online sports betting sites launched on January 22, 2021.
In December 2019, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed sports betting into law. The law allows for mobile/online sports betting as well as at physical commercial and tribal casinos throughout the state. MGM Grand and Greektown were the first to enter the Michigan market.
A big list of sports betting operators wants to enter the Michigan market since it has legalized sports betting. Top operators such as FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars are on the first list of legal MI betting apps. In fact, there will be a total of 15 online platforms available, all linked to one of the 12 legal organized tribes or one of the three commercial casinos in Detroit.
Here, we provide you with complete information about Michigan sportsbooks, including their partnerships, expected launch dates, bonus offers, wagering options, and much more.
Michigan Online Sports Betting Sites
Online sports betting is likely to be a boon for Michigan due to the state’s climate and geography. Michigan’s proximity to Canada, which does not have legal sports betting, also portends good things for Michigan sports betting.
With four major professional teams: Detroit Red Wings – NHL, Detroit Lions – NFL, Detroit Tigers – MLB, and Detroit Pistons – NBA; Michigan is certainly fertile ground for sports betting.
With oversight from the Michigan Gaming Control Board, there is no distinction between online and retail sports betting in terms of licensing for the operators. Each operator that meets the criteria is free to operate one brick-and-mortar sportsbook on the premises, and one online wagering platform is available across Michigan.
A number of top sports betting apps have signed on for launch with a land-based partner. Certainly, the anticipation is high on the Michigan betting market. Sports betting apps including DraftKings, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Caesars, Barstool, TwinSpires, BetMGM, BetRivers, and Wynn received approval from gaming board to offer online wagering in the state. Whereas, apps such as Fox Bet and Parx are expected to be on their way to Michigan soon.
Here’s the list of Michigan online sportsbooks:
BetMGM Sportsbook
MGM Resorts International’s BetMGM wants to be a major player in Michigan. It decided to launch an online sportsbook in Michigan as soon as sports betting goes live in the state. It operates under the retail license of MGM Grand Detroit. Indeed, the operator is already off to a great start by offering a wide range of markets at the retail sportsbook location at MGM Grand.
BetMGM is the official sports betting partner of the Detroit Lions. Not to mention, MGM’s existing infrastructure and penchant for early debuts in other locations suggest that BetMGM sportsbook is one of the very first online sportsbooks in Michigan.
Michiganders will be eligible for a generous welcome bonus of $1000 bonus bet on the first real-money wager.
FanDuel Sportsbook
Being one of the top sportsbooks in the country, FanDuel becomes one of the first online sportsbooks in Michigan. Ilitch Holdings is the land-based partner and the FanDuel sportsbook at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit is already up and running.
Certainly, it lives up to the brand’s name recognition with a high-quality, top-rated app and a large selection of sports. Also, the app is going to include an online casino section.
FanDuel sportsbook is also available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, and Illinois. FanDuel Michigan customers will be able to claim its welcome bonus of a $1000no sweat bet.
PointsBet Sportsbook
PointsBet is an Australian sportsbook provider. They made their US debut in 2019 and have been continually expanding since that time. The launch of PointsBet in Michigan is all set for Jan 22. The retail sportsbook is available at Lac Vieux Desert Northern Waters Casino Resort.
PointsBet has an agreement with Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians to provide online and mobile sports wagering and gaming in Michigan. In fact, the PointsBet sportsbook is the first sports betting company to partner with an MLB franchise. Also, they signed a sponsorship deal with the Detroit Tigers in July 2020.
With PointsBet’s online launch, Michigan players will be able to enjoy its signature product, PointsBetting. The sportsbook should offer a huge $2,000 risk-free bonus. Stay tuned for more information.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars acquired the William Hill sportsbook in April 2021 and remained all William Hill operations in the US as Caesars. Before the acquisition, William Hill was a well-established brand in Michigan operating under the partnership with a local Native American casino group, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa, and the Chippewa Indians.
The rebranding from the William Hill app to the Caesars Michigan Sportsbook app brings new welcome bonuses and plenty of promotions to MI players.
Caesars Sportsbook offers a $1,250 first bet on Caesar for new users. Use the promo code SALOONRF. If that first wager wins, Caesars Michigan Sportsbook will simply pay out the profit. If it loses, bettors will receive a refund in site credit equivalent to the first bet amount.
BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers made a deal with the Little River Casino in Michigan along with its operators, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. Rush Street will operate the Little River retail sportsbook.
BetRivers will be a part of Michigan’s online and mobile sports betting market launching by early 2021. For new players and no real strings attached. It’s basically a 100% deposit bonus of up to $250.
FOX Bet Sportsbook
The Stars Group runs the FOX Bet sportsbook in the US in partnership with broadcast giant FOX Sports. Fox Bet made a deal with Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, giving it first-skin market access to offer online and retail sports wagering in Michigan.
The FOX Bet retail sportsbook is available at Odawa Casino Resort (Petoskey). We can expect Fox Bet online sportsbook to launch very soon by offering a risk-free bet of up to $500.
Barstool Sportsbook
The popular media company has collaborated with Penn National to enter the sports betting market. Nevertheless, the first Barstool app is launched in Pennsylvania with a strong intention to expand in more states.
Barstool Sportsbook opened a temporary location at Greektown Casino in March 2020. It is looking to launch an online sportsbook along with its online casino product.
DraftKings Sportsbook
The reputation of DraftKings Sportsbook is backed up by one of the most comprehensive betting menus of any US-facing sports betting brand. Bettors of all experience levels will likely want to include DraftKings Sportsbook among their online sports wagering choices.
DraftKings made a deal with Bay Mills Indian Community to open retail and online sports betting in Michigan at Bay Mills Resort & Casino. Moreover, we can expect DraftKings to offer a risk-free bet and deposit bonus along with a $25 free bet.
Michigan Land-Based Sportsbooks
There are 8 tribal sportsbooks and 12 total sportsbooks in Michigan. A number of retail sportsbooks are up and running in the state. Among them, some land-based casinos are owned and operated by some of the world’s biggest gaming operators such as Caesars and MGM.
The list of retail sportsbooks in Michigan along with their launch dates:
- MGM Grand Detroit – March 11, 2020.
- Greektown Casino – March 11, 2020 (temporary launch).
- MortorCity Casino – March 12, 2020.
- Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Indians – June 22, 2020.
- Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians – July 13, 2020.
- Little River Band of the Ottawa Indians – July 17, 2020.
- Hannahville Indian Community – Sept. 10, 2020.
- Grand Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indian – Sept. 18, 2020.
- Turtle Creek Casino – Sept.23, 2020.
- Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians – Sept. 24, 2020.
- Gun Lake Tribe – Oct. 3, 2020.
Top MI Betting Apps
As we are in the early days of Michigan online gambling, we can only sort out the best betting sites based on the operator brand value and popularity in the other states where the sportsbook is legal. Taking various features into consideration like betting odds, bonuses & promotions, live betting features, range of betting options, and overall convenience & user experience, we provide you the list of best Michigan sports betting apps:
How To Place A Sports Bet In Michigan
As Michigan is live with fully legal online sports betting, the process to place a bet in Michigan will be similar to any other state where sports betting is legal. It’s easy to get started, all you need to do is follow the below steps:
Choose a MI Sportsbook
Generally, we suggest you have accounts with multiple Michigan mobile sports betting sites so that you’ll get the best pricing in the market for each and every game. However, you just have to start with one which is the best among your choices and then continue signing up with others. As the Michigan betting market is starting with quite a lot of operators, there will be no shortage of options.
We suggest you choose the sportsbook wisely which offers the best sign-up bonus, promotions, and best odds. You can select a betting site from the table at the top of the page, where we also provided the top features of the betting site.
Sign-up and Deposit
You will need to fill the registration form which consists of different fields including name, email, phone number, address, date of birth, and the last 4 digits of SSN. You would also need to create a username & password. Next, you typically have to agree to certain terms and conditions and verifying that you are of legal gambling age. After that, click to register the account. Be sure to check your email in case further identity verification is needed.
Some Michigan betting sites offer free bets just for signing up. Make sure to take advantage of the no deposit free bets promotion if any and you might need to enter a promo code.
Now, you’d need to deposit money into your sportsbook account. As we are talking about the legal Michigan online sports betting sites that got approval from the Michigan Gaming Control Board, all of them must offer a wide range of secure banking options. Select a payment method that you are comfortable with and deposit money into your account.
Verify Your Location
Like any other legal state with online sports betting, Michigan also set certain restrictions regarding the bettor’s location while placing a real-money sports wager. The bettor must be present within the state borders of Michigan while placing a bet. For this, sportsbook apps and websites verify the user’s locations via GeoComply software.
Desktop users might need to download an app to verify their current location, whereas mobile users can turn on Location Service to authenticate the betting location.
Place Your Bet
As you already held a valid sports betting account and deposited money into your account, you are ready to place your first bet:
- Navigate to ‘Sport’.
- Select the Game and click the Odds.
- Go to your bet slip.
- Enter your bet amount.
- Verify your selection, odds, and payout on the bet slip.
- Place your Bet.
Congrats! Your bet is placed.
Michigan Sports Betting Law
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law two bills, S4916 and H4311 on December 20, 2019. These new laws legalized internet poker, online casino games, online fantasy sports, along with sports betting both online and in casinos.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board oversees sports betting in the state. Only existing Michigan casinos, including 3 Detroit commercial and 23 tribal casinos across the state, are eligible to apply for sports betting licenses.
The operators must pay a $50,000 initial application fee, a $100,000 license fee, and a $50,000 annual renewal fee for a sports betting license. Not to mention, sports betting operators must pay a tax of 8.4% on adjusted gross sports betting receipts.
Whereas, Detroit commercial casinos must pay an additional 1.25% city tax.
The revenue from online gaming and sports betting in Michigan will support the Michigan School-Aid Fund.
Michigan is the second-largest state in terms of population to have legalized online sports betting, behind only Pennsylvania. As a result, we can estimate the Michigan sports betting market to generate as much as $7 billion to $8 billion in sports bets annually and $500 million in gross operator revenue.
In fact, the Michigan Department of the Treasury estimates the launch of sports betting, online casinos, online poker, and fantasy contests will bring $19 million in new tax revenue to the state.
Types of Wagers Offered by Michigan Betting Sites
Michigan sports betting sites offer innovative betting options. The most popular types of wagers include:
Totals – Also called an over-under bet, where you predict the score of both teams added together. With a total bet, the winners don’t matter.
Moneyline – Simply bet on which team will win a specific game.
Futures – Bet on the outcome of an event that has not yet happened.
Spread – Bet on the gap between one team’s score and their opponents is larger than a specific number.
Parlay – Combination of several individual bets. To win a parlay, you have to get every game correct.
Teaser – Similar to parlay but is restricted to totals bets or spread bets.
Round Robin – Links together several parlay bets. Also, you don’t have to win every leg to win.
State Of The Union
Although every state has different gambling laws, U.S. mobile sports betting sites are picking up the pace and Nevada was the pioneer of regulated US online gambling but only offers the chance to play poker. Now bettors can safely access sports betting apps and websites from regulated, U.S. based bookmakers in the following states:
NJ Betting Sites: New Jersey is currently the largest market for regulated online gambling in the US.
PA Betting Sites: Pennsylvania is the biggest state to legalize and regulate online gambling.
WV Betting Sites: West Virginia is one of the first states to unroll sports betting in the wake of the US Supreme Court decision.
IA Betting Sites: Iowa legalized wagering as of May 2019 and went live in August 2019. Many important US sportsbooks are already up and running.
IN Betting Sites: Indiana betting sites are active since October 2019 after Gov. Mike Pence signed Bill S 335 into law.
CO Betting Sites: Colorado sports betting is legal and available as of May 1, 2020. Residents may participate in online gaming including online sports betting, horse racing betting, greyhound betting, daily fantasy sports, and skill games.
IL Betting Sites: Online sports betting began in Illinois on June 18, 2020, when Rivers Casino went live through BetRivers.
TN Betting Sites: Tennessee sports betting launch is scheduled for November 1. The state legislature agreed to legalize sports betting to offers online and mobile betting apps, not in brick-and-mortar retail locations.
How Michigan Sports Betting Compares
Michigan will share the same level of online gaming as states such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Great Lake State permits legal sports betting apps along with online casinos and Daily Fantasy Sports operators, but eventually, it will also permit online poker. Let us look at how Michigan mobile betting compares with the rest of the US states.
Mobile Betting Options
For an online gaming license in Michigan, operators pay $50,000 for an application fee, $100,000 for the five-year license, and another $50,000 for the annual operating fee. These charges are minimal and hence attract more sportsbooks to launch in the state. Considering the initial days of the Michigan online betting market, eventually, we could see an increase in the number of betting options for players.
Deposit
We have seen that how you can deposit takes a major role in online sports betting. Sports bettors in Michigan will have the ability to register, fund, and wager with Michigan online sportsbooks without ever stepping foot on a casino floor.
Given the legislation, we see the banking options of Michigan betting apps similar to that of other legal sports betting states. Players can make use of a wide range of deposit options such as credit/debit card, bank transfers, eCheck, prepaid cards, and eWallets like PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller.
Fair Pricing
Fair pricing is one of the most important factors of every online sports betting website. The online sportsbooks focus on emerging markets like Michigan with special bonus offers such as free bets. These promos are designed to attract new customers for the launch of online betting. The simplicity of Michigan’s licensing regime and relatively low cost to entry are sure to promote a competitive landscape for online sportsbooks and betting apps within the state. The top betting operators like FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars make the MI betting market competitive and offer the best pricing.
Market Offerings
Michigan sportsbook apps offer dozens if not hundreds of leagues and sports. Players can bet on all major leagues including NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. Unlike states like New Jersey and Illinois, Michigan allows the bettor to wager on in-state college sports teams. Meaning, Michiganians can bet on college teams – Eastern Michigan Eagles, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, and others.
Pros: Michigan’s Successes
One of the key reasons for Michigan’s success will be its low tax rate of just 8.4%, which is lower than the standard 10% tax rate. The affordable licensing fee and low tax rate will not only attract new operators to enter the market but also offer fair pricing and promotions to benefit the customer.
The Michigan sports betting market is competitive with all major brands such as FanDuel, DraftKings, PointsBet, Caesars, BetMGM, and many more.
Bettors need not visit a casino to complete the signup process. Meaning, you can register, deposit, and place bets at all online sportsbooks at the comfort of your home.
Because of the solid legislation and huge market, the state has an estimated 10 million people as of 2020. In fact, the operators definitely want to launch in the early months of Michigan sports betting, as they can gain market share before the market matures.
As online casinos are also available, sports bettors can also play a variety of online pokies slot machines, table games, and board games.
Cons: What Can Be Done Better?
The big loss for the Michigan betting market is the delay in launching legal online gambling. There was a year-long delay as Michigan officials finalized online betting regulations and licenses. The delay cost the state a loss of millions of dollars in revenues and taxes.
Though retail betting was launched in March 2020, less than a dozen of the retail sportsbooks were able to go live before the state’s commercial and tribal casinos closed due to the pandemic.
Michigan Betting Sites – FAQs
Is sports wagering legal in Michigan?
Yes, Michigan legalized retail and mobile sports betting in December 2019. The state’s first in-person bets began in March 2020 and online betting to launch on January 22, 2021.
Who are eligible to bet on Michigan sports betting sites?
The legal requirements are that you should be over 21 years and physically present inside the state lines of Michigan when you wager. Also, you must not be on a self-exclusion list. You need not be a permanent resident of Michigan.
On which sports and leagues can I wager on Michigan betting sites?
Michiganders will be able to bet on all professional, collegiate, and international sporting events at Michigan online sportsbooks. There are many ways to place your bets. Nevertheless, there will be more than enough opportunities to bet on top US sports such as football, baseball, hockey, basketball, golf, soccer, boxing, and NASCAR.
All major professional sports teams in Michigan are based in the city of Detroit. You can wager on popular sports leagues like NHL, NFL, MLB, NBA, and NCAA.
Who regulates online sports betting in Michigan?
The Michigan Gaming Control Board oversees and regulates online sports betting in the state. Meaning, you can take any problems you might have with a licensed Michigan sports betting site right to the Board.
What payment methods are accepted by Michigan betting sites?
To place a bet on a Michigan sports betting app, you must fund your account. All legal sportsbooks will ensure multiple ways to deposit and withdraw funds with a safe and simple process.
In general, you’ll find the following banking options:
- Credit or Debit Cards
- Bank or Wire Transfers
- Prepaid Cards
- E-wallets (PayPal and Skrill)
- E-checks (ACH)
- Cash at PayNearMe and Retail Locations
Does Michigan permit to bet on Horse Racing?
Yes! Michigan horse race betting online has been legal for a number of years now. In addition, it’s also possible to legally bet on greyhound racing and the famous Michigan Lottery.
Is Daily Fantasy Sports Legal in Michigan?
Michigan Daily Fantasy Sports are not illegal, and you will have no problems playing them. In fact, top DFS operators such as FanDuel and DraftKings are available.
Is online gambling legal in Michigan?
Online casino gambling is live in Michigan as of January 22, 2021. Playing casino games like online slots and table games will be available on legal Michigan online casinos.