Online Casinos in Michigan, USA
Exploring Online Casinos in Michigan
The option to gamble at a Michigan online casino has become a legal option just recently.
Michigan had gambling available to people since the 1930s when pari-mutuel wagering and horse racing was launched. In 1972, voters approved a second form of gambling – the state lottery, which was made legal in August of the same year.
Since this point, non-profit organizations started running licensed bingo games, raffles, and charity games. It was only later in 1993 when true gambling in casinos became an option. This is when Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe in Mount Pleasant opened the first tribal casino based on a contract with the state where they handed over 2% of the winning distribution. Right now, there are over 20 different tribal casinos across Michigan that pay the state 8% of their net win on electronic games.
In December 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the bill to bring sports betting, online poker, and online casinos in the state. A short time has passed since then, but there are now many new casinos in Michigan, some already up and running for their local players. Michiganders have more and more opportunities for online gambling every day. Tribal and commercial sites are already applying for their first licenses, while retail sportsbooks opened in Michigan in March of 2020.
The Best Michigan Casinos Online
| Golden Nugget Casino | |
| FanDuel Casino | |
| BETMGM Casino | |
| DraftKings Casino |
Regulations You’ll Find in Real Online Casino Michigan
State Projections
According to state projections, the financial impact of the decision to make online casinos legal in Michigan will have at around $25 million every year. This money will be spread between the internet gambling fund, the cities in which the online sites’ partners are located, and the agriculture equine industry development fund.
So, not only does the legality of betting at an online casino Michigan benefit the players, but it also benefits the economy of the state. The Michigan law requires all of its players to be in the state when they gamble at online casinos Michigan. All licensed sites will employ geolocation to make sure that this is the case.
Who Can Apply for a License/ Play at Michigan Casinos
Right now, only the existing websites including the tribal casinos and the 3 Detroit commercial sites are able to apply and get a license, as well as offer games such as slots and table games. They can only offer these services to people who are at least 21 years old and inside the state lines.
The Cost of a License in Michigan
The license for an online casino for Michigan is set to last for five years and comes with a steep application fee of $50,000, as well as $100,000 initial license fee, and followed by a $50,000 annual fee once the license is obtained.
In addition to these fixed fees, licensed casino sites are subject to a tiered tax structure for adjusted gross receipts starting at 20%. The 3 Detroit commercial casinos pay an extra 1.25% city tax.
All this is regulated and decided on behalf of the Michigan gaming control board. The board has all the powers needed to administer, regulate, and enforce online gambling within the state’s borders.
Casinos in MI: How and Where to Gamble
If you decide to gamble in Michigan today, your options will be a bit limited seeing how online casinos just started obtaining their licenses. Even so, you need to make sure that you choose the best online casino Michigan. This is a site that offers fair play, is safe to use, and have many gaming options for its players.
Some of the criteria you should pay attention to when you choose an MI casino include:
- Whether or not they’ve obtained a license to operate in Michigan
- What types of games/ which games they offer
- Whether or not they offer your preferred payment method/ fees applicable for deposits and withdrawals
- How good their support service is
- Quality of the website/ mobile optimization/ app
- What you need to gamble and withdraw winnings on the site
- Bonuses and special deals offered to new players, as well as loyalty program perks, if applicable
- Requirements for bonuses offered on the casino site
Games You Can Find in Michigan Online Casinos
Online casinos are created to replicate the experience of gambling in brick-and-mortar casinos, so they offer most of the games gamblers are used to – and love. A good casino will offer a variety of games that include live games, card and table games, and slot machines, as well as some specialty games like bingo and keno.
Card and Table Games
Table and card games are extremely popular with gamblers in Michigan these days. Most online casinos will offer you at least a couple of table and card games and their variants, including Blackjack, Poker, Baccarat, etc. You’ll also find different variants of roulette including the American wheel, European Wheel, French Wheel, etc. Some of the games that are harder to find these days include craps.
Among the table games available today, poker is the most played. Today, in Michigan casinos, players can also find video poker – a very popular option with different varieties of the game including Jacks or Better, Double Bonus Poker, Bonus Poker Deluxe, Deuces Wild Bonus Poker, Joker Poker, etc.
These games can be available in a traditional format i.e. gambling against a RNG, or in some casinos, they can be played in real time. Live dealer games can include a variety of table and card games from providers such as Evolution Gaming or NetEnt. They aren’t as frequently found on Michigan sites just yet, but some companies like Points Bet and Bet MGM already built partnership with Evolution Gaming.
Slot Machines
Slot machines come in a huge number these days thanks to popular providers like NetEnt and Microgaming that come up with new ideas every month. In Michigan casinos, you’ll be able to find a variety of slots including three reels i.e. the basic slots, bonus machines, five reel slots, jackpot slots, video slot machines, 3D slots, etc. They will differ in the bonuses and features offered, design, as well as the depositing and possible winning amounts.
Casino Mobile Apps
Mobile gambling is quickly becoming even more popular version than desktop play. This means that newly licensed sites will strive to create mobile-optimized sites or even some apps that mobile players can download. Some of the modern casinos these days choose to create a browser access for all their players, both on desktop and mobile. Others create apps that can be downloaded to smarphones and tablets with full functionality, a big selection of games, and cashier functionality.
Responsible Gambling at an Online Casino in Michigan
Since gambling can easily become a problem if players don’t take caution with it, the State of Michigan has created a system that is committed to help people with gambling problems. Online casinos are now required by law to provide their players with information on support for problem gambling. They’ve committed $500,000 annually from the taxes obtained from online gambling to programs that deal with such issues.
Some of the state resources for problem gamblers are the Michigan Problem Gambling Helpline and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. To be more, the Michigan Gaming Control Board has created and maintains a Disassociated Persons List that allows problem gamblers to request to be barred from the licensed casinos.
FAQ
- Is online gambling legal in West Virginia?
- Gambling online is WV has become legal in 2018, while traditional gambling is legal since 1994. This is the fourth state that legalized online casino games, sports betting, and poker. Their first online sportsbook showed up in 2018, while online casinos appeared in 2020.
- Can you bet on sports in West Virginia?
- Yes. WV has online sportsbooks that were first launched in 2018 when such betting was legalized. Additionally, online casinos and video poker are now legal, but only casinos are launched officially at this point.
- What is the gambling age in West Virginia?
- If you are 21 years or older and based inside the state, you can gamble online. You don’t have to be a resident to play. If you are a resident but aren’t inside its borders, you cannot play. Casinos use geolocation verification software to ensure that you cannot place bets if you aren’t inside the state.
- What is the most reputable online casino in WV?
- The most popular casinos at this moment are the ones that appeared first: DraftKings and BetMGM. Since online gambling has just become a reality, sites that are licensed have not had a lot of time to prove themselves. In the months that follow, players can expect the addition of new sites, as well as new bonus offers, games, etc. It’s only after a couple of months that new sites will start establishing some reputation with their players.