Michigan Sports Betting – Best Michigan Online Sportsbook Sites 2020

Sports betting is now legal in Michigan, both online and at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks. After years of efforts, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a new bill into law in December 2019 — The Lawful Sports Betting Act — paving the way for legalized sports betting in the Wolverine State. In this guide, we’ll cover a complete breakdown of the state’s sportsbook lounges and online and mobile sports betting options, as well as provide details on promo offers available.

Michigan sports betting: Everywhere you can play

Legalized online and mobile sports betting was given the green light in December 2019, but the state is still in the process of developing the rules and regulations that will govern the state’s legal sportsbook apps and products. As the state does have a history regulating land-based casinos and the provisions of the sports wagering bill are known, we have a good idea of what we can expect.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is now working to put into place the rules and regulations that each operator must follow.

The current outlook is that online/mobile sports betting will be available in Michigan by early 2021, or possibly even late 2020. It’s expected that FanDuel Sportsbook will be among the first online sportsbooks to launch in the Wolverine State, as it already has a partnership in place with MotorCity Casino Hotel.

Operators have started getting their ducks in a row so they are ready to go when a launch date is given. Below you will find a list of possible operators that are expected to go live in Michigan.

BetMGM

MGM owns and operates MGM Grand Detroit, so the entry to the Michigan market is already in place for MGM. The company’s BetMGM product is already available in other states where online and mobile sports betting is legal, so we can expect BetMGM to go live in Michigan after processing its application and getting its systems tested.

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook can be expected to be one of the first, if not the first, operators to go live with online and mobile sports betting in Michigan. The company’s ability to launch a high-quality product has been proven in other states. Through FanDuel’s partnership with MotorCity Casino Hotel, where the company operates a two-story retail sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook has access to Michigan. Given what we have seen from the FanDuel Group in other states, the potential is very good that it becomes a sports betting market leader in Michigan.

FOX Bet

FOX Bet is operated by The Stars Group, and The Stars Group has a partnership in place with Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Gaming Authority. This partnership gives The Stars Group access to Michigan via a “skin agreement.” In addition to sports betting, online casino and online poker have been legalized in Michigan and are similarly awaiting rules and regulations to be determined before launch is allowed. The Stars Group has all three verticals within its portfolio and we can expect the company to eventually be live with all three. FOX Bet will be the sports betting arm in Michigan under The Stars Group.

Parx Casino

Parx Casino has plans to bring sports betting to Gun Lake Casino in Wayland. The venue’s Stage 131 Sportsbook & Lounge will offer brick-and-mortar sports betting before the casino eventually rolls out mobile and online sports betting and casino gaming.

Penn National Gaming

Penn National Gaming operates Greektown Casino Hotel, and the partnership will allow Penn National Gaming (PNG) access to Michigan. Furthermore, PNG has a minority stake in Barstool Sports, which was founded by University of Michigan grad Dave Portnoy. Although Penn National Gaming is likely to open its own online sports betting operation in Michigan, it could also go the route of leveraging the Barstool Sports brand for its Michigan sports betting product.

PointsBet

PointsBet has in place a partnership with the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, and the partnership is planned for 20 years. The tribe owns and operates Northern Waters Casino Resort in Watersmeet, which provides PointsBet with access to the state’s sports betting market and is also the likely location for a PointsBet brick-and-mortar sportsbook.

William Hill

William Hill has a partnership in place with Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. The tribe owns and operates multiple casino venues in the state — the Leelanau Sands Casino in Peshawbestown, the Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel in Williamsburg, and the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa in Acme Township.

In addition to those potential sports betting operators to launch in Michigan, we could see sportsbooks launched by the following companies:

• 888sport
• Bet365
• BetAmerica
• BetRivers
• Caesars
• DraftKings Sportsbook
• theScore Bet
• Unibet

Which retail sportsbooks are available in Michigan?

Currently, three sportsbook lounges have opened in Michigan at the state’s three commercial casinos.  They are at the MGM Grand Detroit, Greektown Casino Hotel, and MotorCity Casino Hotel. They are all located in Detroit.

MGM Grand Detroit

MGM Grand Detroit opened in July 1999. It is a luxury casino resort located in Detroit and opened its doors to sports bettors on March 11, 2020. The venue has 100,000 square feet of gaming space and more than 400 hotel rooms. The owner of MGM Grand Detroit is MGM Resorts.

Greektown Casino Hotel

Greektown Casino Hotel opened in November 2000. Similar to MGM Grand Detroit, the venue boasts 100,000 square feet of gaming space and 400 hotel rooms. Greektown Casino Hotel has a retail sportsbook that opened on March 11, 2020. Greektown Casino Hotel is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Penn National Gaming.

MotorCity Casino Hotel

Opened in December 1999 by Mandalay Resort Group, MotorCity Casino Hotel is a casino venue located in Detroit that claims 100,000 square feet of gaming space, 400 hotel rooms, and roughly 2,800 slot machines. The venue was later purchased by IH Gaming and the casino is currently partnered with FanDuel Sportsbook on sports betting. MotorCity Casino Hotel opened its sportsbook on March 12, 2020.

All potential land-based sportsbook locations

The state’s 23 tribal casinos are eligible to offer both brick-and-mortar and online sportsbooks (as well as online casinos). The full list of casinos and their locations, including the aforementioned three books, is displayed here:

Minimum age to bet on sports in Michigan

The minimum age to bet on sports in Michigan is 21 years old. This legal age limit will apply to all sports betting across retail, online, and mobile.

When signing up for an online or mobile sports betting account, age verification will take place at the point of registration. Retail sportsbooks can also require in-person age verification for anyone placing bets. A valid form of identification will be required for age verification.

Location requirements

As is the case in other states with legal online and mobile sports betting, Michigan requires sports bettors to be physically located within state boundaries in order to place a wager. Location will be determined and verified using geolocation software and the bettor’s online or mobile device.

Retail sports betting is available at brick-and-mortar locations throughout the state. As you can imagine, you must physically be present at one of the state’s land-based sportsbook venues in order to place a bet.

Benefits of legal online sports betting

Regulation & safety

Safety and security are paramount benefits of legal online sports betting. Gambling at a regulated sports betting site in Michigan will put your mind at ease knowing that you are wagering in a safe and secure environment governed by state regulations. Gone are the days of needing to deal with unregulated, unsafe offshore sports betting sites.

Michigan sports betting sites are regulated by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB). The MGCB is the governing regulatory body in charge of overseeing the operations of the state’s legal online sports betting sites. The MGCB has put together comprehensive regulations that aim to protect you, the consumer, and provide you with the safe and secure betting environment you deserve.

Easy & efficient banking

Offshore, illegal sportsbooks cannot accept money from U.S. banks, but legal, regulated sports betting sites can. Regulated banking options only further emphasize the safety and security that legal online sports betting options offer.

Most regulated online sportsbooks offer a variety of deposit and withdrawal options.Checking accounts, PayPal, bank transfer, electronic checks, Netelle, and cash at a brick-and-mortar casino location are all banking options utilized by the regulated sports betting industry, and Michigan will include a combination of these options for its online sports betting.

As online sportsbooks are regulated in Michigan, you can expect your money to be safe and secure when you are depositing or withdrawing.

Accessible mobile offerings

Mobile is the way of the world these days, and sports bettors will no longer be required to walk to a betting window in a retail sportsbook to place a wager. Mobile and online sports betting provides a great amount of accessibility for sports bettors. In Michigan, sports bettors can register online for legal mobile/online sportsbooks. Bettors only need to be of age (21+) and located within state boundaries in order to place a bet through their online or mobile device.

Michigan sports betting FAQ

Michigan sports betting law and framework

Signed into law in December 2019, HB 4916 authorized legal sports betting through retail, mobile, and online operations.

Key details of the legislation:

• Minimum age of 21 to sports bet
• 8.4% tax rate on a sportsbook’s adjusted gross revenue
• Three commercial casinos located in Detroit pay an additional 1.25% tax to the city
• State tax revenue goes to School Aid Fund and First Responder Presumed Coverage Fund
• $50,000 application fee
• $100,000 license fee
• $50,000 annual renewal fee
• Licensed commercial casinos and federally recognized tribal casinos can apply for licenses
• Operators are allowed one skin

History of Michigan sports betting

Getting to where it is today has not been an easy road for Michigan. The state had several roadblocks and obstacles along the way, but several years of legislative effort finally came through in December 2019.

The push to get legal sports betting in Michigan started in 2015 with Rep. Robert Kosowski, but with federal law prohibiting sports betting outside Nevada at the time, the effort didn’t gain much traction. Despite not generating much momentum in 2015, Kosowski followed up in the following two years. With each new push, adjustments to the bill had been made, but the ultimate goal of legalizing sports betting and online betting remained.

Rep. Brandt Iden got involved in 2017, suggesting that if federal law allowed states to legalize sports betting, then Michigan should be ready to move forward. With others agreeing, HB 4926 was passed through the Committee on Regulatory Reform in late 2017.

In May 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), paving the way for states to offer legalized sports betting on their own. Legislation to legalize sports betting in Michigan hit the governor’s desk in December 2018, but outgoing Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed the bill and left it up to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who was taking office next.

Although Whitmer had her concerns, she worked on a new version of the legislation until it was to her liking. Once the bill passed the state’s two chambers, it headed to Whitmer’s desk in December 2019, one year after Snyder’s veto spoiled Michigan’s sports betting efforts. Whitmer signed the bill into law and legal sports betting was set in Michigan for 2020.