Michigan legalized pari-mutuel horse racing in 1933. There is only one operational track remaining, at Northville Downs outside Detroit.
Politics
Michigan is a welcome recent addition to the states that have relaxed their gambling laws. Though Michigan gamblers have had access to full-service commercial and tribal casinos for decades, law enforcement authorities were raiding private poker games in the state as recently as 2010.
Due to a rapidly evolving landscape, gamblers now have fully legal and regulated options for online Michigan sports betting, casino games, and poker.
We’ve listed our favorite casinos, sportsbooks and poker sites accepting players from Michigan below. Pick a site and start playing!
Michigan gambling laws have evolved rapidly in the past few years. In late 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the Lawful Sports Betting Act and Lawful Online Gambling Act, legalizing not just sports betting, but online casinos and online poker as well. To show how far Michigan has come, as late as 2010, law enforcement outside Grand Rapids prosecuted players at an illegal poker tournament held in a local hotel. Now, residents and tourists can place wagers on the Wolverines without any worries.
Yes. Michigan also has three full-service land-based commercial casinos in Detroit: the MGM Grand, the Motor City Casino, and the venerable Greektown Casino.
Greektown was briefly named Jack Casino Detroit while it was owned by Detroit native Dan Gilbert (who owns Quicken Loans, RocketMortgage, and the Cleveland Cavaliers), but Gilbert sold the casino amid speculation he desires buying the Detroit Tigers. Penn National Gaming now owns the renamed Greektown Casino.
Michigan also has 26 tribal casinos owned by 12 different Native American tribes. Michigan’s tribal casinos are owned by a wide variety of Native American groups, including the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, and the Ojibwa tribe, which is found throughout the Midwest.
Yes. Michigan allows anyone in the state over the age of 21 to gamble online through regulated and licensed operators. The operators are partnered with land-based commercial and tribal casinos throughout the state.
Michigan law allows online table games, online slots, online sports betting, and online poker to be played anywhere within its borders. You can bet on the Tigers from Traverse City or the Pistons from Pontiac.
Yes. Michigan has one horse racing track at Northville Downs, outside of Detroit. The track also hosts simulcast racing.
Simulcasting may expand in Michigan now that betting on out-of-state races can be legally accomplished online.
Yes, Michigan allows charitable gambling. The state has a variety of bingo halls that generate revenues for churches, police departments, fire departments, veterans’ groups, and other nonprofit organizations.
It also has Millionaires Parties, which are a form of poker night with raffles and casino games. To host a Millionaire Party, a group has to be licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
Michigan was one of the few states to explicitly outlaw social gaming, and still has anti-social gaming laws on the books.
While sites such as PlayMGM are technically illegal, it is unlikely a user will be prosecuted for playing, especially since MGM now has a fully legal online gambling app in the state.
Yes. “Bona fide” gaming is used in over a dozen states as a workaround to betting on oneself. If a player bets on a “contest for the determination of skill, speed, strength or endurance or the bona fide owners of animals or vehicles entered in such a contest”, it is considered a bona fide contest.
| State Code Section | Michigan gambling is regulated by the Michigan Penal Code Chapter 750, sections 301 through 315a and the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act (Michigan Compiled Laws Chapter 432). |
| Definition of Gambling | Accepting money or a valuable thing contingent upon result of a game, race, contest or happening of uncertain event. |
| Internet Gaming | Defined as “operating, conducting, or offering for play an internet game.” An internet game is “a game of skill or chance that is offered for play through the internet in which an individual wagers money or something of monetary value for the opportunity to win money or something of monetary value.” |
| Online Poker | Online poker is now legal thanks to the Lawful Internet Gaming Act. Online casinos are able to offer internet gaming under a maximum of two separate brands – one for interactive poker and one for other casino style games. |
| Casinos | Online casinos are also covered under the Lawful Internet Gaming Act, and are legal as of January 2021. |
| Sports Betting | Internet sports betting may only be offered by licensed Michigan sports betting operators who are lawfully operating casinos in Michigan. This is covered by the Lawful Sports Betting Act. |
| Daily Fantasy Sports | Fantasy sports betting is legal, as long as the fantasy contest team is not composed of the entire roster of a real-world sports team, or entirely composed of individual athletes who are members of the same real-world sports team. |
| Horse Racing | The following types of horse racing are legal in Michigan: live horse racing at regulated race tracks, on-track simulcasting, and on-track pari-mutuel wagering. |
| Other Forms of Internet Gaming | Other forms include gaming tournaments conducted via the internet in which individuals compete against one another in 1 or more of the games offered by the board or in approved variations or composites as authorized by the board. |
Take a look at the moments that have shaped Michigan’s gambling history, both offline and online.
Michigan currently offers gamblers 25 land-based casino options.
Michigan casinos range from the three resort-style full-service offerings in Detroit to smaller tribal parlors on the Upper Peninsula.
| Casino Name | Address | Casino Style |
| MGM Grand Detroit | 1777 Third Street Detroit, Michigan 48226 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| MotorCity Casino Hotel | 2901 Grand River Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48201 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| Greektown Casino-Hotel | 555 East Lafayette Street Detroit, Michigan 48226 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| Bay Mills Resort & Casino | 11386 West Lakeshore Drive Brimley, Michigan 49715 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| FireKeepers Casino Hotel | 11177 East Michigan Avenue Battle Creek, Michigan 49014 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| Four Winds Casino New Buffalo | 11111 Wilson Road New Buffalo Township, Michigan 49117 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| Four Winds Casino Hartford | 68600 Red Arrow Highway Hartford, Michigan 49057 |
Full-Service Casino |
| Four Winds Casino Dowagiac | 58700 M-51 South Dowagiac, Michigan 49047 |
Full-Service Casino |
| Island Resort Casino | W 399 US 2 & 41 Harris, Michigan 49845 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| Kewadin Sault Ste. Marie | 2186 Shunk Road Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan 49783 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| Kewadin St. Ignace | 3015 Mackinac Trail St. Ignace, Michigan 49781 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| Kewadin Manistique | US 2 E. Rte. 1, 5630 US HWY 2 Manistique, Michigan 49854 |
Full-Service Casino |
| Kewadin Christmas | N7761 Candy Cane Lane Christmas, Michigan 49862 |
Full-Service Casino |
| Kewadin Hessel | 3 Mile Road, P.O. Box 189 Hessel, Michigan 49745 |
Slot Parlor |
| Kings Club Casino | 12140 West Lakeshore Drive Brimley, Michigan 49715 |
Slot Parlor |
| Leelanau Sands Casino | 2521 NW Bayshore Drive Peshawbestown, Michigan 49682 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| Little River Casino Resort | US 31 & M-22 2700 Orchard Highway Manistee, Michigan 49660 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| Northern Waters Casino Resort | N5384 US-45 Watersmeet, Michigan 49969 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| Odawa Casino Resort | 1760 Lears Road Petoskey, Michigan 49770 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| Odawa Casino Mackinaw City | 1080 S Nicolet Street Mackinaw City, Michigan 49701 |
Slot Parlor |
| Ojibwa Casino Baraga | 16449 Michigan Avenue Baraga, MI 49908 |
Slot Parlor |
| Ojibwa Casino Marquette | 105 Acre Trail Marquette, MI 49855 |
Slot Parlor |
| Saganing Eagles Landing Casino | 2690 Worth Rd. Standish, Michigan 48658 |
Slot Parlor with Hotel |
| Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort | 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd Mount Pleasant MI 48858 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
| Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel | 7741 M-72 East Williamsburg, Michigan 49690 |
Full-Service Casino Resort |
Yes. Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the Lawful Sports Betting Act and Lawful Internet Gaming Act in late 2019, legalizing online gambling, sports betting (online and in-person), and online poker in Michigan. As of January 2021, Michigan online gambling is now completely legal.
If you’re looking to play poker online, only PokerStars and PartyPoker have licenses to operate online poker in conjunction with Michigan casinos. The Michigan Gaming Control Board will also be free to enter into multistate agreements so that poker players can play opponents in other states.
No, but you do need to be within state lines while you access Michigan online gambling sites. If you are outside of state lines, you will not be permitted to gain access to these sites. These restrictions are due to federal and state laws.
Yes! You are able to bet on horse racing at a number of online bookmakers. Additionally, 5% of all tax income from the newly legal Michigan sports betting sites and online casinos will go toward the agricultural equine industry development fund to ensure the continued support of horse racing in Michigan.
To buy lottery tickets or scratch cards, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old in Michigan. Charitable gambling and pari-mutuel wagering on horse races also require bettors to be 18 or older.
The minimum age for wagering at land-based casinos is 21 years. State-regulated online gambling will have a minimum age of 21, while at offshore casinos the minimum age is 18.
The best online sportsbook for Michigan sports betting is Bovada, the US successor to Bodog. When you make your first deposit at Bovada, you’ll receive a $250 welcome bonus. If you deposit using Bitcoin, your welcome bonus can grow to up to $750.
Wager on the full list of NFL football, NHL hockey, NBA basketball, MLB baseball, and MLS soccer. Bettors can also place bets on golf, tennis, UFC, and boxing. Those who prefer international sports betting can enjoy English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, FIFA tournaments, or Champions League wagers.
The top online casino for Michigan gamblers is Cafe Casino. New depositors receive their choice of Cafe Casino’s $2,500 Super Play Max Bonus with a 35x wagering requirement or a $1,000 No-Max Bonus with a 25x wagering requirement. If you enjoy slots, Cafe Casino has over 250 titles, including Bulletproof Babes, Bust-a-Vault, Candy Cottage, or Cyberpunk City.
Test yourself in the table games section with baccarat, blackjack, craps, or roulette. Or try new games like Andar Bahar, Roll The Dice, or Teen Patti. The live dealer section of Cafe Casino includes six games, including live blackjack, live baccarat, and live roulette.
Bovada Poker is our recommended online poker site for Michigan gamblers. Players can enjoy $150k guaranteed tournaments and $100k guaranteed tournaments throughout the week. They can play in a wide variety of cash games, sit’n-go events, and turbo events. If they play poker on their mobile devices, they can enjoy jackpot sit-&-go events.
Michigan poker players who make a deposit receive their choice of a $500 welcome bonus or a $750 Bitcoin bonus.
