The anti-sports betting bill, PASPA, was overturned in May 2018, allowing all states in the country to legalize sports betting at their discretion. Some states, like Michigan, liked the idea of sports betting but were wary to jump in with both feet right away. However, Michigan did become the 20th state to legalize sports betting in December 2019.

Michigan Sports Betting News

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Sports betting went live in March 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the world. There are no online sports betting in Michigan, so all sports betting has been in person, and is regulated by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. Three casinos currently have sports betting, and even one built a large and extravagant sports bar in anticipation of sports betting being legalized.

Currently, all casinos in the state are eligible to obtain a sports betting license and offer sports betting, but due to COVID-19, it’s taking time to get up and running.

Nearly 10 million people live in the state of Michigan, with Detroit being their state capital and largest city. Aside from sports betting, legal forms of gambling currently available in the state are commercial casinos, tribal casinos, poker, horse racing, Daily Fantasy Sports betting, and the lottery.

There are 23 tribal casinos in the state, that bring in billions each year, which is taxed by the state. The Commercial casinos in Detroit like the MGM Grand Detroit, The MotorCity Casino Hotel, and the Greektown Casino Hotel’s taxes alone are the third-largest source of revenue for the state of Michigan.

Some states have shown their disapproval of DFS, while some just don’t seem to care enough to take a stand against it – up until December 2019, Michigan was one of those states. Michigan residents could play DFS, but it wasn’t technically legal or illegal. But now, it’s totally legal to play in daily fantasy. Statistics show that roughly 37,000 residents of Michigan are DFS players, with $70 million per year going to contest entry fees.

Can I bet on sports in Michigan?

Yes, sports betting is legal in Michigan. While it was legalized in December 2019, the first bets were placed in-person at casinos in March 2020. There are only three casinos as of right now that have sports betting licenses and operational sportsbooks due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the state shortly after launching.

SportsbookAvailable In Michigan
FanDuel
DraftKings
Caesars
FoxBet
BetRivers
BetMGM
PointsBet
UniBet

Online sportsbooks are safe and secure and have plenty of sports and different betting types to choose from. You can find an online sportsbook with great bonuses and promotions, like Bovada or BetOnline, which will help you pad your bankroll and win more money.

michigan betting sites

Michigan Casinos

Any of Michigan’s 23 commercial and tribal casinos are able to register for a sports betting license under the December 2019 approved bill. It’s likely that not all casinos will offer sports betting, but three casinos didn’t waste any time to get their sportsbook offering primed this March.

Greektown Casino is owned by Penn National Gaming and is home to four live betting windows and 40 self-service betting kiosks. You can place a variety of bets on any professional or collegiate sport.

The MGM Grand in Detroit offers their BetMGM product, which was the first to go live in March 2020, and will offer online betting when online sports betting is legalized in the state. Motor City Casino is home to a two-story sportsbook with six betting windows, 54 self-service kiosks, and more. They are partnered with FanDuel Sportsbook and owned by IH Gaming.

Betting on Michigan Sports

The Detroit Lions are the resident NFL team in Michigan. They have won four NFL titles, but are currently in the second-longest drought – not winning a title since 1957.

The Detroit Pistons of the NBA moved from Fort Wayne, Ind in 1957, and have remained there ever since. They won seven conference titles, many of which in the 1980s and 1990s. They have three NBA titles under their belts, in 1989, 1990 and 2004.

Baseball fans flock to Detroit Tigers games in the warmer months, to watch one of the American League’s oldest franchises that remained in the same place, with the same name for their entire existence. The Tigers have won four World Series, their last being in 1984.

As for the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings have been keeping local hockey fans happy for over 90 years, starting their franchise in 1926. They’ve won the most Stanley Cup championships of any NHL team in the U.S. with 11 titles. Detroit is commonly referred to as ‘HockeyTown’ for decades, due to the success and popularity of the Red Wings.

As of March 11, 2020, sports betting in Michigan became legal. To coincide with the launch, two Detroit-area casinos were launched on the same day. Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the "Lawful Sports Betting Act", providing a wide variety of sports betting opportunities, including college markets.

michigan betting

A Brief Timeline of the Legality of Michigan Sports Betting

  • February 9, 2024 — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s latest budget proposal designates $4 million for the Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund and additional funds to target illegal offshore sportsbooks.
  • January 31, 2024 — Michigan sports betting handle reaches a new record high in December at $613.4 million, reflecting a 4.7% increase from the previous record set in November.
  • January 23, 2024 — Golden Nugget sportsbook is no longer available in Michigan; however, Golden Nugget’s casino app remains active, redirecting sports bettors to DraftKings.
  • January 17, 2024 — The Hollywood Casino at Greektown in Detroit deploys six more security robots equipped with audio and video recording, intercom updates, facial recognition, and more.
  • January 9, 2024 — The Michigan Wolverines secure the College Football National Championship, defeating No. 2 Washington 34-13.

Michigan Sports Betting Timeline

It has been a long run in Michigan towards the legalization of sports betting. They started early, even before the 2018 Supreme Court decision that struck down nevada's monopoly on sports betting. Let's take a look at how it all happened.

2017-2018 Sports Betting Legislation Struggle to Gain Traction

All the way back in 2017, the House Bill MI H 4060 was introduced. this bill to legalize sports betting in the state did not go very far at all. Later that year, another attempt was made. this was originally a bill to open up casinos in the state. Only later was a sports betting provision added. Nonetheless, the bill did not pass and was pushed into 2018's legislative agenda.

In 2018, the bill was able to pass through both the House and the Senate in the state. It was controversial and took a long time. In June 2018, the House passed it. In December the Senate gave it its approval, only to be vetoed by the governor a few days later, ending any hopes of legal sports betting the state for the moment.

From Legalization to Launch

Representative Brandt Iden has emerged as the main sports betting advocate in the House. He introduced MI HB 4916 in September of 2019. This, along with other gambling expansion bills, passed through the legislative branch in the final month of 2019. This time, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed them into law!

This opened the door for the state's first retail sportsbook to open. In March 2020 in Detroit, the first one opened. However, due to COVID-19, they were all forced to close after just a week of operating.

Luckily as health restrictions are lifted as the virus comes under control, the sportsbooks are in much better shape. Plus, the state launched its first sports betting apps in January of 2021. Ten launched on a single day, which was the NCF and AFC Championship games in the NFL

Top Online Sportsbooks for Betting in Michigan

Choosing an online sportsbook can be daunting because there are so many options out there, and some aren’t as good as others, but some are more suited to pros or experts rather than beginners, and it can be hard to find a book that satisfies all of your needs.

We have compiled a list of online sportsbook reviews that can help guide you to one of the top sportsbooks, with certain criteria that we feel is important to look at before signing up at an online sportsbook.

Things like deposit options, bonus information, and cashout limits are important for those who just want to bet recreationally. You want to ensure you’re getting all of the right information before you sign up, so check out our online sportsbooks and find a book that’s right for you.

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