How We Chose the Best MI Online Casinos
To determine which online casinos in Michigan are the best, we had to explore each of them and analyze their key features. Only by using this first-hand approach could we give future players a suggestion on which casinos they should choose. Here are some of the key performance indicators that we looked into.
Licensing and Safety
Licensing and safety are the two most important factors to consider when choosing a casino site. Before January 2021, the residents of Michigan could only resort to offshore casinos, as there were no legal casino sites operating in the state. But this has now changed, and all players in Michigan state no longer need to visit non-regulated foreign platforms with their shady licensing and questionable safety. Now they can enjoy legal sites like you can read about in our Unibet Online Casino review.
All casinos listed on this page have been approved by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), meaning that they are fully legal and secure. Each one clearly displays licensing details on its website or app, meaning that you can easily check and confirm that it is regulated. Of course, you need to be of legal gambling age and abide by the casino’s terms and conditions.
What’s more, to protect any sensitive personal information, all MI online casinos employ state-of-the-art security systems, like SSL encryption and firewalls.
Game Variety
The quality of games was one of the key factors in deciding which casinos made the list.
The sites we included are guaranteed to present game libraries that contain top-quality slots, table games, live dealer games, card games, and more.
Bonuses and Promotions
To achieve and maintain a competitive edge over their rivals, Michigan casinos offer valuable bonuses and promotions to first-time players and those with an existing account. Of course, not all these sites feature the same-value bonuses, so we checked out their Promotions sections to confirm the availability of offers and whether they deliver good value.
In addition, many MI online casino operators run loyalty programs that will reward your long-term play with additional cash bonuses, free spins, cashbacks, tournament entries, and other exciting deals.
User Experience
Although it’s often overseen as a key factor, user experience should be one of your top concerns when choosing an online casino in Michigan. That’s why we rewarded operators that made their websites look snappy, with easy navigation, fast loading times, and no signs of any bugs or glitches.
Banking
Banking methods are a prime consideration when selecting an online casino. You need to be sure of your options for depositing and withdrawing, and you have to be aware of any limitations associated with using certain payment methods. Our top-rated Michigan online casinos offer a variety of banking options — from credit and debit cards to various e-wallets, direct bank transfers, and checks.
Mobile Play
With so many Michigan players using smartphones and tablets as their primary devices for playing casino games, we had to make sure that all of our recommended operators had functional safe mobile sites. We also gave extra points to those casinos that offered their own online casino apps, especially if they were available for free download on Google Play and iTunes app stores.
Customer Support
Regardless of how functional and intuitive these casino sites are, it’s likely that you’ll run into some issues from time to time, which is why you may need help from the casino’s support team. Each Michigan casino site we listed has 24/7 support that can be reached through multiple modes of contact, including live chat, email, phone, or social media. All agents are highly professional and responsive.
A Brief History of Gambling in Michigan
Even though Michigan has only recently got included on the map of US states that have legalized online gambling, the history of this activity in the Great Lake State reaches far beyond January 2021.
As is the case with many US states, the history of gambling in Michigan started with horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering. The first official bets at the tracks were taken in the 1930s and remained the only form of legalized betting for decades to come.
Then, in 1972, Michigan became one of the first states to introduce the state lottery. Today, this state offers one of the most versatile selections of both in-house and multi-jurisdictional draw games.
Skip to a couple of decades later, and the first commercial brick-and-mortar casinos arrived in Michigan, allowing residents to try their luck on slot machines, blackjack, poker, and other exciting games. There are more than a dozen casinos operating in Michigan today, most of which are owned and operated by three recognized Native American tribes.
The US gambling landscape has changed rapidly over the last several years, with a number of states aiming to implement New Jersey’s model of legalizing online casinos and sports betting. However, Michigan, in particular, showed some resistance at first, as it failed to legalize online gambling on multiple occasions — in 2017 and 2018.
Finally, in December of 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bill 4311 into law, officially giving the green light to most forms of online gambling in the state. January 22 saw the launch of the first online casinos and sportsbooks, soon followed by a few poker sites.
Online gambling in Michigan is still in its infancy. While several high-end operators managed to secure their place on the Michigan market, many are yet to come, so keep an eye on this page to learn if any new casinos have launched in the state and whether they are good enough to be included in our top list.
Michigan Online Casino Games
Since online casinos are a completely new concept to Michigan residents, many of them are yet to get familiar with all the types of casino games. Every MI online casino that we listed offers hundreds of different games that can be divided into several main categories.
That said, here is some basic information about the most popular casino games, their general rules, variations, potential payouts, and more.
Video Slots
Video slots are the cash cow of all casinos in the world, whether they operate physically or online. That is why you’ll find that slots take up the majority of every online casino library in Michigan — sometimes even up to 90% or more.
The reason for this type of dominance of video slots is easy to understand once you see how these games work and what they have to offer. These games have incredibly simple rules. As a matter of fact, you don’t even need to know them in order to win, as the outcome of every spin is decided by the random number generator (RNG).
Software developers of video slots put significant effort into making them look cool and interesting. Each game is different from the next, not only in its appearance and theme but also in its features and mechanics. The fact that they are completely luck-based might be their only drawback, but slots compensate for that by having a massive reward potential.
Considering their layout and reward system, all slots can be categorized into several groups:
- 3-reel slots (classic slots) — These games take the appearance of original slot machines. They are the simplest form of slots and ideal for those players who are overwhelmed by complex payline structures and extra features.
- 5-reel slots — Slots that feature five reels are the most common. They usually have plenty of paylines and a few bonus games that make for engaging gameplay full of surprises.
- Clusters — ClusterCluster slots neglect the classic payline system. Instead, they reward a win whenever there’s a cluster of identical symbols connected both vertically and horizontally.
- Megaways — The Megaways engine from Big Time Gaming (BTG) has reinvented the way slots are played. This special system allows for a random number of symbol positions after every spin, consequently featuring thousands of different ways to win.
Progressive jackpot slots — If you really want to win big while playing video slots in Michigan online casinos, you should try your luck on some progressives. All slots have jackpots, but most of them feature a fixed prize. On the other hand, progressives function in a way that the top prize rises indefinitely until one player lands the lucky combination. Therefore, progressive jackpots can often grow to be worth millions of dollars.
Table Games
Apart from offering a myriad of slots, every online casino in Michigan also has a wide range of table games. In this section, you’ll run into several different types of games — namely, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, table poker, and potentially a few miscellaneous dice and card games.
MI casinos mostly focus on blackjack and roulette, which is why you’ll likely find multiple varieties of these two games in every Table Games section. Apart from classic blackjack, you can run into variants such as single-deck, European, Spanish 21, multi-hand, and Blackjack Switch, to name a few.
With roulette, you’ll get to choose between the standard American, European, and French variations, as well as some exotic variants, like 100-to-1, mini roulette, double-ball, and others.
Although the rules of specific table games take time to learn, their advantage lies in the fact that some of them are not completely luck-based, allowing you to utilize various strategies and lower the house edge. What’s more, games like roulette feature an abundance of betting options, letting you decide on how much you want to risk.
Video Poker
Video poker is another classic land-based casino game that has made a smooth transition into the online realm. While video poker games are not as popular as some of their peers, you’ll still find that most Michigan online casinos feature at least a few well-known variants, such as Jacks or Better, Joker Poker, and Deuces Wild.
If you know how to play video poker and are familiar with some of its common strategies, you can significantly lower the house edge and potentially earn yourself a nice payout.
Live Dealer Games
If you like playing table games but miss the live engagement with real-live dealers, live dealer games will be the perfect compromise. These games merge the convenience of playing at home with the immersive atmosphere of brick-and-mortar casinos. They let you stream and play your favorite games run by a real-life professional dealer.
Apart from all the classics, such as blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, the standard live dealer section in an MI online casino will also feature a few game shows, like Monopoly, Dream Catcher, Gonzo’s Quest, and others.
You can expect the live streams to be of great quality. Plus, you will get to enjoy features that include chatting with other players, changing camera angles, customization, and more. Live dealer games typically have higher betting limits than their RNG counterparts, which may be of particular interest to high-rollers.
Michigan Online Casino Bonuses
As soon as it was launched, the Michigan online casino market was filled with competitive operators ready to battle for players. One way in which these casinos attract clients to their websites is by offering a variety of bonuses and special deals.
These bonuses can be beneficial to players, but it’s important to understand how they work, what the best way to utilize them is, and which wagering requirements accompany them. With that in mind, here are some of the most common types of bonuses and promotions that you can run into while playing in top MI online casinos.
First Deposit Bonuses
Every online casino in Michigan will offer a nice bump to your bankroll once you complete your initial payment. First deposit bonuses can come in a variety of forms. They often have different values, but the most standard welcome promotion is the 100% deposit match. This means that whatever you deposit will get doubled up to a specified amount.
Meanwhile, certain casinos will extend their welcome offer to several subsequent deposits, while others might combine cash bonuses with free spins and other types of promos.
Reload Bonuses
Reload bonuses relate to the casino’s welcome promotion. Once you use the bonus funds acquired from the first deposit offer, you’ll get to unlock another similar bonus but usually a bit lower compared to the initial one.
Unlike first deposit bonuses that are exclusively one-time deals, reload bonuses may come periodically, allowing you to use them once every week or month.
No Deposit Bonuses
In some cases, you won’t even be required to lay down a deposit in order to get a deal. Some Michigan casinos offer no deposit bonuses that you can claim immediately after registering an account. So, that’s entirely free bankroll cash with no deposit.
However, because these types of bonuses are free, you should not expect them to be very lucrative, and they’ll usually have highly restrictive terms of use.
No deposit bonuses mostly serve so that you can try out the casino’s games and see how the platform works before fully committing to it.
Free Spins
Free spins are a special kind of promotion as they don’t involve any cash bonuses. Instead, you will receive a given number of spins to use on one of the video slots. That will normally be a specific slot title chosen by the site.
The spins are free in the sense that you don’t need to use any of your own money to play them. All the winnings you acquire from these spins will still need to be wagered according to the bonus’ wagering requirements.
Note that free spins are exclusively available on one or more selected video slots, as indicated by the casino. You won’t be able to use them on any table or live dealer games.
Free spins are commonly offered as a welcome bonus, but they can also be their own standalone promotion, especially when a casino is trying to promote its latest video slot additions.
Loyalty/VIP Programs
Welcome bonuses are there to attract new customers. Meanwhile, on the other side of the spectrum, you will find loyalty or VIP programs, which are designed to retain existing players. These will reward your long-term play through various offers and benefits you’ll receive once you reach a predetermined deposit or wager threshold.
For instance, every wager you make will win you a certain amount of loyalty points. Get enough of these, and you’ll acquire a certain loyalty status that might come with personalized bonuses, a better conversion rate on loyalty points, invitations to special events and tournaments, VIP customer support, and more.
How to Start Playing on Michigan Online Casinos
If you’ve never played online casino games before, you might have your doubts on how to even begin. But there’s really nothing to worry about, as the process of signing up for an account and starting to play is a rather simple one. Here’s what you need to do:
- Click on one of the top Michigan online casinos featured on our list.
- Once you get to your desired casino site, click on the Join Now button (could also be Register, Sign Up, or another variation).
- Fill out the form with required details, such as your name, date of birth, address, Social Security number, and more. Note that you must be at least 21 years old to legally gamble online in Michigan.
- After your account is set up, claim the no deposit bonus if available. If there’s no such offer, navigate your way to the cashier page.
- Choose one of the accepted deposit options, type in the deposit amount, and confirm the transaction. Mind that each online casino in Michigan has minimum and maximum deposit limits and that these vary depending on the deposit method.
- Your deposit should go through almost immediately, after which you’ll be ready to browse the game library and start playing.
If you wish to play via the casino’s mobile app, the process will be pretty much the same — you’ll only need to download and install the app through Google Play or iTunes app store first.
How to Claim Your MI Online Casino Winnings
The ultimate goal of playing in Michigan online casinos is to have fun and win some money in the process. Once you get lucky enough to win, you’ll have the option to leave that money in your account for future play or decide to cash out by doing the following:
- Log in to your online casino account.
- Go to the cashier page and select the Withdraw tab.
- Choose a withdrawal method and type in your requested withdrawal amount while minding the limits.
- Confirm the transaction.
Depending on the casino’s withdrawal policy, your cash-out request may be pending for some time — between a few hours and a couple of days. Once that period expires, you’ll receive your winnings in the time frame relative to your selected payment method (e-wallets are almost instant, cards take 1–3 business days, bank wires take a week or more, etc.).
Also, if you have acquired your winnings through one of the casino’s bonuses, make sure that you’ve completed the wagering requirements associated with that bonus. Otherwise, you won’t be allowed to withdraw.
Michigan Online Sports Betting
Online sports betting in Michigan launched parallel to online casinos in January 2021. Most casino sites that we shared on our list also feature a sportsbook where you can place various types of wagers across all the most popular sports and competitions such as the NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA, MLB, NASCAR, golf, tennis, MMA, soccer, and more.
Michigan Responsible Gambling
Gambling in any form can present the risk of addiction, especially in areas with liberal gambling laws such as Michigan.
To be a responsible gambler, you must be sure you have a sufficient amount of money in your bank. This way, you will be gambling without any risk. Otherwise, this pastime may end up having a negative effect on your overall financial stability.
Unfortunately, some players do not have the necessary amount of self-control in this regard, which is why they can fall victim to problem gambling.
To help prevent this issue, Michigan online casinos have all connected to various problem gambling help centers. If you notice that you or someone you know is showing signs of gambling addiction, you may direct your calls to the following services:
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Gambling Disorder Help-Line: 800-270-7117
- Gamblers Anonymous: 1-855-222-5542
Michigan Online Gambling
Are online casinos legal in MI?
Yes, online gambling is legal in the state of Michigan as of December 2020. The first regulated online casinos officially launched on January 22, 2021.
Who regulates online gambling in MI?
Online gambling in Michigan is regulated and overseen by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB).
Are Michigan online casinos safe?
All casino operators licensed and approved by the MGCB are deemed legal and safe. They all employ the latest security systems and protocols required to protect your sensitive information.
Am I required to live in Michigan in order to play in the state’s online casinos?
No, Michigan online casinos do not require you to be a resident of the state in order to visit and play real-money games on their website. However, you do need to be physically located in the state during your play.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will online casinos know whether I’m in Michigan or not?
All licensed Michigan casino sites and mobile apps are equipped with geolocation software that shows them your current location.
What is the minimum online gambling age in Michigan?
All players who wish to create an online casino account in Michigan must be at least 21 years old.
How many online casinos are in Michigan?
The MGCB approved 15 provisional licenses for online casinos in December 2020. The number of operational online casinos in the state is nearing that number, and we’ll see if the Board decides to extend the market by issuing more licenses in the future.