Recommended Michigan online casinos

The list below includes only legal casinos which have been vetted and reviewed by our experts. They are ranked based on the quality of the offer relative to other Michigan online casinos.

We don’t only list online casinos in Michigan that we like but we also take into account what players are after. We look at everything from how easy it is to sign up to what the payout rate is.

Top three — our expert picks explained

Forget spending hours comparing casino! Our experts have analyzed Michigan’s best options, evaluating bonuses, game variety, payment methods, and the overall experience. We’ve narrowed it down to the top three casinos for you — let’s jump right into why these made it to the top-recommended list.

🥇#1 Best overall: BetMGM

BetMGM holds a prominent position in the iGaming market, renowned for its extensive game library of over 1000+ titles.

This scale translates into a wealth of ongoing promotions for players. BetMGM consistently rewards its loyal clientele with a diverse range of 10+ bonuses, exclusively within its casino offerings.

The icing on the cake is the attractive welcome bonus, which showers players with a 100% deposit match, up to a generous $1,000, along with a complimentary $25 free play. The associated wagering requirements stand at 1x for $25 and 15x for $1,000. Most games are eligible, except for a select few jackpots, making cashing out a swift and straightforward process.

🥈#2 Best for games: BetRivers

Recognized as one of the largest online casinos, BetRivers is a well-established US casino brand that proudly presents an extensive catalog of over 1,500 games.

On top of this expansive game library, BetRivers offers an enticing welcome bonus, exclusive games, and exceptional customer support. Notably, it stands as one of the best casinos for usability, with games available both on the web, as well as apps on iOS and Android devices.

🥉#3 Best new casino: Caesars

Caesars may be an established brand, but it’s recent relaunch of its online casino has completely revitalized it. The site is now better then ever, with more games, better bonuses, and better security.

What makes it stand out in this state is its unique bonus for Michigan, awarding a $100 gas card as well as the standard 100% up to $2,000 for Caesars online casino.

Complete list of online casinos in Michigan

The compiled list consists not only of reputable casinos but of MI online casinos which are very popular with players.

That said, what players individually prefer and value in their casinos is important too, so we’ve compiled a list of specific MI online casino category winners for those who value particular games, the best Michigan online casino bonuses, or even a specific software. These have been vetted following strict criteria which we will be covering later on.

Real money online casinos in Michigan

All the MI casinos listed on our site are real money casinos. That said, some casinos offer free play — it’s all down to your choices as a player.

The fact that many players still specifically search for Michigan real-money online casinos goes back to a time when real-money online gambling sites were illegal in the US, and players were turning to offshores for their games. Of course, even though things have changed, that doesn’t mean that all casinos are created equal.

So, what makes one spot a better real money casino than another? There are plenty of factors and features that can impact the outcome of your play — we’ve listed down a couple of real-money casinos in MI and some of their top player-friendly features in the real-money bracket.

New MI online casinos

Michigan’s strict regulations and limited pool of 15 licensees leave little room for new MI online casinos. The majority of licensed casinos launched in 2020–2022, with a few arrivals in 2023.

The newest online casino in Michigan is ESPN BET, operated by Hollywood Casino since late 2023. This brand-new playspot is the product of a two-in-one rebranding of Barstool and Greektown Casino-Hotel, now on a platform backed by Penn Sports Interactive. Fanatics is another high-profile, recent relaunch, following PointsBet’s rebranding in Michigan.

All MI online casinos and sportsbooks that launched over the past few years are heavily vetted by our reporters, pitting new arrivals against established operators. BetMGM online casino, for example, currently offers the best bonuses for Michigan players, yet it went live back in January 2021 — a statement to first-class play when the novelty of a new casino wears off.

Michigan remains a young market, and we look forward to seeing how it will develop in the future. Keep an eye out for special welcome bonuses and new arrivals.

Michigan mobile casinos

Like in any other state where online casinos are available, Michigan’s game offer is more limited on mobile than on desktop. A good mobile-first site will always offer between 70-90% of the desktop’s game library. The more, the better.

Of course, we expect online casino apps to be compatible with both iOS and Android products, and on this MI online casinos deliver — at this stage of the game, this is industry standard.

We rate on aspects such as whether the Michigan online casino apps are smooth or glitchy, with great importance given to ease of use. Some signals of quality we look for are depth of filtering, by theme, software, and volatility for example. If we spot a great mobile-exclusive bonus (a rare find), we’ll throw in a few extra points to the rating too.

MI casino apps

Since the Michigan online casino market was launched in 2019 and the state was well-prepared for it, it meant that several MI online casinos had the opportunity to launch very decent online casino apps. Below is a list of all the online casinos currently operating in Michigan and whether or not they have an app.

Tips: How to choose the best MI online casino

At Time2play, we help people find their perfect Michigan online gambling site by giving expert ratings on the different aspects of each casino — on a point scale out of 100. We also incorporate user reviews to ensure things are as transparent as possible.

Our scoring criteria are based on things that matter to players. We take a look at factors like what kind of bonuses are offered, diversity and breadth of the games selection, and the range of payment options for players to use. We never alter the rating criteria or point scale to favor one casino over another.

1. Casino bonuses

I would have liked to say that Michigan is rolling out the red carpet when it comes to bonuses, but the truth is that online casino bonuses are pretty standard throughout the US, and Michigan casino bonuses are no different. If anything, it’s New Jersey that gets the most diverse range of bonuses, as it has been the state which has legalized online casinos first.

When it comes to the types of deposits offered at Michigan top online casinos, deposit matches are the most common form of bonus offers. Our highest scores always go to casinos that don’t just offer 100% matches on first deposits but also throw in some free spins, cashback, or boosts on subsequent deposits.

Average casinos tend to throw out $100–$300 in deposit matches, and often as little as $10 in free cash if any at all. MI has operators like DraftKings, known to go up to $500–$2,000 from time to time.

• Offers deposit matches of up to $2,000
• Seasonal and event-specific promos
• Game leaderboards and refer-a-friend bonuses

2. Casino games

While good NJ casinos tend to offer between 500–1,500 games, states like Michigan and Pennsylvania tend to provide quite a bit less as they are both still evolving in the online casino sector. You can see this particularly in Michigan’s best-performing casino — Golden Nugget. While NJ Golden Nugget has 938 games in total, Golden Nugget Michigan only has 334.

But a lower game count doesn’t mean that there’s a lack of variety or the production-quality bar is lower. On the contrary, MI casinos partner with innovative and reputable software providers, showcasing diverse game portfolios at casinos like BetRivers and PokerStars.

Bingo and lotto remain elusive in the market, but casino staples like blackjack, roulette, and poker are aplenty. Expect around 20–30 table games, upward of 300–400 online slots, a few dozen live-dealer games, and a scratch card or two.

Game fairness

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is not only responsible for licensing all the online casino and sports betting sites, but it also makes sure that all the games are fair. We expect reputable casinos to openly state that their games are audited, and MGCB seals on-site are necessary for our verification process.

Online slots in Michigan

Expect a lower game total, but the variety won’t disappoint. You’ll find all player-favorites like Megaways, jackpots, video poker, classic slots. Out of all the Michigan online casinos Time2play has reviewed, BetMGM currently has the most online slots in Michigan — 923.

MI live casino

While the live casino section of most MI online casinos isn’t much to write home about, all of our recommended Michigan online casinos have at least one software provider, which is pretty much in line with the rest of the US market. Expect a limited selection of live-dealer tables, but with round-the-clock availability.

3. Casino software

When it comes to software, you’re looking for quality above all else. We like to see big names such as NetEnt and IGT, and expect anywhere between 5–15 providers on offer. This is just about average compared to the rest of the US, with more established casinos offering games from 20+ software studios.

Golden Nugget NJ, for example, offers 25 software options to players while its Michigan twin only provides 12. The hardest hit is felt in live software, with Evolution being the primary (and often sole) game provider in Michigan live casinos.

• Decent number of slots software providers
• Reputable game developers
• Low on live software, but high production quality

4. Payment methods

Many casinos on the market offer anything between 6–15 payment options, but the same can’t be said for Michigan. That said, Michigan online casinos do boast quality over quantity, with payment options such as Play+, Paysafe, PayNearMe, and PayPal available to players. The biggest payment offering in MI, by far, is BetMGM’s 10.

Michigan online casino players don’t have to worry about deposit and withdrawal fees. They’re uncommon nationwide, and MI is no exception.

• No deposit or withdrawal fees
• Fast deposit times
• Reputable payment methods

4.1 Payouts at Michigan online casinos

When looking at payouts, one of the key factors is how fast a casino will cash out your winnings. At Time2play, we’ve tested withdrawal processing speed at all Michigan online casinos, revealing an average of 24–72 hours between claim and payment, given that all KYC checks are in order.

You may hit faster times, particularly with withdrawals via e-wallets, but the two-to-three day timeframe is average for the US.

As to who has the highest payout limits, our data is inconclusive. Most Michigan casinos will have daily and weekly withdrawal limits, but more often than not these limits can be surpassed after an additional verification process is carried out.

5. Online casino safety

While the 2019 sign-off on legalizing online gambling within the state paved the way, it wasn’t until nearly a year after that we saw the first MI online casinos. Part of the reason why is the Michigan Gaming Control Board’s (MGCB) rigorous security-auditing protocols to ensure player safety.

The MGCB website has all relevant legislature and compliance requirements listed, along with a complete database of all legal offline and online casinos in Michigan. The distinguishing factor is that online casinos must be affiliated with physical MI casinos, adding another layer of security and reputability through a land-based establishment.

While the MGCB predominantly focuses on licensing of Michigan online casinos, it employs other entities for security checks and regulates Michigan online sports betting as well. For example, the MGCB contracts independent third-party auditors, like Gaming Laboratories International and BMM Testlabs, to test and verify game fairness, security, and functionality.

Ultimately, if a casino is on the MGCB site — it’s safe. If it’s available in multiple states, like Golden Nugget, BetRivers, and BetMGM are, then you can rest easy knowing that multiple regulators have cross-checked and ticked the box.

6. Customer support

If there’s something that the best casinos in the industry understand the importance of, it’s customer service. Michigan is no straggler in this department.

At Time2play, we believe that players should be able to reach their casino of choice by phone, live chat, and email. We also appreciate a detailed FAQ page or Help Center, allowing easy and independent issue resolution.

Of course, out of all three main channels, live chat is the one we give the most weight to. We test this multiple times per casino, but there are variations that depend on how busy the casino is at that particular time and the support agent’s speed when resolving issues.

Our highest points go to those casinos that make it easy for you to get in touch with them — we don’t like to jump through hoops just to get the most basic answers. We also give extra points to casinos that allow non-registered players to use the live chat, as we appreciate the transparency and accessibility that offers.

What about Michigan offline casinos?

Michigan is characterized by an overwhelming number of 23 tribal casinos out of a total of 26 land-based casinos in Michigan. Detroit is the home of Michigan’s commercial casinos, and the MGM Grand, Hollywood Casino (formerly Greektown), and MotorCity Casino Hotel are all situated there.

In reality, Michigan’s casino story is not a very old one, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community opened a small casino in a garage in Zeba called ‘The Pines’ only 38 years ago, and the other tribes slowly but surely followed in their footsteps. One of Michigan’s claims to fame is the fact that the ‘Kings Club Casino’ was the first tribally owned casino in all of the US.

Michigan’s commercial casinos were opened much later, with MGM Grand and MotorCity Casino opening in 1999 and Greektown in 2000.

Although online casinos are currently the talk of the town, note that online operators are directly linked to physical offline casinos in Michigan. Whether they are tribal or commercial, both types of offline casinos can obtain licensing for an online platform.

Here’s a snapshot of what’s going on in the Michigan casino scene.

If the way the Michigan online casino history has developed is of interest to you, you can always visit our Michigan online gambling page for a more detailed look at how things have evolved.

While Michigan is growing at the fast pace that it is, it is interesting to think of the future. And the best place for that remains Europe where online casinos have managed to put down roots for a lot longer.

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