Gambling Laws in Michigan

Michigan is one of the most permissive states regarding gambling legislation in the US. Most forms are permitted and licensed for the safe enjoyment of residents. You'll no doubt be surprised to learn that online gambling is even in abundance.

Which Types of Gambling Are Allowed in Michigan?

Various forms are legal in Michigan, thanks to the latest laws in the state. The Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act covers most issues, with the Michigan Gaming Control Board overseeing and licensing the gambling industry.

Online and Landbased Casinos

Casino gambling is legal in Michigan, with the state being home to 26 venues. 23 of these are run by native American tribes, while the other 3 are commercial establishments. The Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act of 1997 was passed after a vote resulted in a narrow margin in favour of non-native American casinos.

Online casino gambling is also legal, with laws passed permitting the activity in late 2019. The Michigan Gaming Control Board began to issue licences in 2021. This means that residents can access the most popular online casinos both in and out of the state, in regulated and safe environments.

Playing Poker With Real Money

It's legal to play poker for cash in the state, with many of the existing licensed casinos hosting games in dedicated rooms.

Online poker was legalised in 2019. There are currently three licensed sites serving Michigan: PokerStars, which was the first to launch along with BetMGM and WSOP MI.

Bingo Gambling

This is legally permitted in Michigan, with numerous games hosted for charitable purposes at halls scattered across the state. Some of the tribal casinos also run games.

Playing bingo online is allowed but the state is yet to have a dedicated site for this. So in the meantime, residents head to the vast array of US online casinos where they can enjoy a smaller selection of games.

The Michigan State Lotto

The Michigan Lottery was established in 1972. This offers games including the popular Powerball and Mega Millions national draws, plus keno, instant win and scratch cards.

Online lottery gambling is available on the state's website where tickets can be purchased by residents.

Social Gambling and Crypto Casinos

Gambling in your own home is permitted so long as there is no commercial profiting such as rake or fees.

More modern forms such as lootboxes and skins gambling are not yet regulated in Michigan. However, there is much debate at the national level about the legality of such activities.

Surprisingly, Michigan does not recognise cryptocurrencies as legal tender, so none of the state's licensed online or offline gambling venues accept them. That said, many crypto gambling sites do accept players from the state, although this would be classed as illegal gambling.

Michigan Sports Betting Laws

Sports betting is legal, with many of the existing casino venues in the state permitted to offer markets to customers. Online sports betting is also permitted, with 15+ operators allowed to accept bets from residents of the Wolverine State. These must be partnered with one of the existing land-based operators (tribal or commercial) to comply with the state's licensing laws.

Live betting on horse races is legal at one course, the Northville Downs. Off-track betting and online betting on horse racing events are also legal, giving punters a wealth of choice.

Daily fantasy sports are allowed, with top providers such as FanDuel and DraftKings offering heaps of betting opportunities to residents.

What Is the Minimum Age to Gamble in Michigan?

This is 18 for parimutuel betting, bingo and lottery gambling, while only those aged 21+ are legally permitted to bet on sports or play casino games.

Gambling Tax Regulations

These stipulate that gambling winnings are subject to income tax at the rate of 4.25% at the local level. This is in addition to the 24% tax that is withheld at the federal level.

History of Gambling Laws in Michigan

Gambling was originally banned in Michigan, with special exceptions for the lotto, horse race betting, bingo and charitable gambling events. The Michigan Lottery was then launched in 1972. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was passed in 1988, which permitted the operation of tribal casinos.

The Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act was passed in 1997, allowing commercial land-based casinos to operate in the state.

Broad changes to the law in 2019 allowed most forms of online gambling under licence, including casino games, sports betting, online poker, online lottery gambling and DFS.

Key Facts

• Casino gambling is legal in Michigan, with the state home to 26 casinos.

• Online casino gambling is legal, with most licensed land-based casinos partnering with popular online operators.

• Gambling on online and offline poker is legal.

• Both online and offline bingo gambling is legal.

• Playing the lotto online and offline is legal.

• Both online and offline sports betting is legal.

• Parimutuel horse race betting and DFS are also legal.