MichiganGambling

Michigan Online Gambling

The Michigan online gambling market expanded considerably in 2019 thanks to a bipartisan bill package that legalized and regulated numerous previously prohibited activities.

The bills established legal frameworks and a licensing process for online casinos, sportsbooks, poker sites, and daily fantasy sports apps. The first Michigan online casinos and sportsbooks launched in early 2021, quickly establishing the state as one of the most successful online gambling markets in the USA.

Read on for a complete Michigan online gambling explainer. Below, we detail exactly what’s legal, what isn’t, and why, so you can gamble online safely and legally in Michigan.

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21+ and present in MI. T&Cs Apply. Gambling Problems? Call 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help.

Michigan Online Gambling Overview

Type of Gambling
(minimum age to play)
Legal StatusNotes
Online Casinos
(21+)
Legal/RegulatorAuthorized by the Lawful Internet Gaming Act (2019)
Sweepstakes Casinos
(n/a)
IllegalTechnically a legal gray area; operators subject to state enforcement actions
Online Poker
(21+)
Legal/RegulatedAuthorized under Lawful Internet Gaming Act (2019); multi-state pools approved
Online Sports Betting (21+)Legal/RegulatedAuthorized by the Lawful Sports Betting Act (2019)
Daily Fantasy Sports
(18+)
Legal/RegulatedAuthorized by the Fantasy Contests Consumer Protection Act (2019)
Fantasy Pick’em Contests
(n/a)
IllegalAdministrative rules (2023) ban contests that mimic prop bets
Online Lottery Sales
(18+)
Legal/RegulatedMichigan Lottery sells draw tickets and offers instant win games online
Online Horse Racing
(18+)
Legal/RegulatedRegulated by MGCB

Michigan Online Casinos

Online casinos are legal and regulated in Michigan.

The Lawful Internet Gaming Act of 2019 established a framework for licensed operators to offer casino games like slots and online blackjack for real money.

Michigan law allows commercial casinos and tribal operators to partner with platform providers, creating a competitive market with strong consumer protections such as age verification, geolocation restrictions, and responsible gambling tools.

Customers must be physically located in Michigan to play casino games online, and winnings are subject to state and federal taxes.

The Michigan Gambling Control Board (MGCB) regulates online casinos, and its responsibilities include:

  • Issuing licenses to online casinos in Michigan
  • Initiating enforcement action against illegal gambling sites
  • Ensuring compliance with consumer protection regulations such as responsible gambling requirements and data security standards
  • Ensuring operators verify that customers are 21+ and physically located within state lines

Sweepstakes Casinos in Michigan

Online sweepstakes casinos operate in a legally precarious gray area in Michigan and face active enforcement from state authorities.

Although some sweepstakes casinos are still accessible in Michigan, their legal status is highly questionable, and players should be aware of the significant risks involved.

Michigan’s Attorney General and the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) have taken a firm stance that sweepstakes casinos offer illegal gambling under state law.

In September 2023, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that her office had forced the shutdown of Golden Hearts Games, an online platform that claimed to be a charitable sweepstakes operator.

Additional enforcement actions since then, targeting both sweepstakes casinos and offshore gambling sites, demonstrate that Michigan authorities are committed to shutting down any platform that offers casino-style games without an MGCB license, regardless of its claims of operating under sweepstakes or promotional laws.

Due to these ongoing enforcement efforts, the number of sweepstakes casinos available to Michigan residents is limited and could change without notice.

Sweepstakes casinos are not licensed or regulated by the MGCB, meaning players have no access to the consumer protections, game integrity checks, or responsible gambling tools that are mandatory for Michigan’s legal online casinos.

Michigan Online Poker

Online poker is legal and regulated in Michigan.

The 2019 legislation that authorized online casinos also cleared the way for legal online poker. The Michigan online poker market officially went live in January 2021, and today, players have access to numerous licensed platforms, including BetMGM Poker and WSOP Online.

A significant development for Michigan’s online poker market occurred in May 2022, when the state was formally accepted into the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA).

Michigan poker sites collectively average 2,200-2,600 concurrent cash game seats during peak hours, roughly triple the pre-MSIGA traffic reported in early 2022. Tournament guarantees have scaled up accordingly, with WSOP’s Online Circuit Main Event now offering a $750k prize pool, up from $250k in 2023.

All online poker sites in Michigan are regulated by the MGCB and require players to be at least 21 years old and physically located within the state to play for real money.

Michigan Online Sports Betting

Online sports betting is legal and regulated in Michigan.

The Lawful Sports Betting Act, passed in conjunction with the online casino bills in 2019, established the legal framework for both retail sportsbooks and online sports wagering in Michigan. The first online sportsbooks launched in January 2021.

Michigan sports betting law permits each of the state’s commercial and tribal casinos to partner with an online sports betting operator. This has resulted in a highly competitive market with over a dozen licensed apps available to bettors. Major operators include FanDuel, BetMGM, ESPN Bet, and Caesars Sportsbook.

Operators must verify bettors are 21+, located within Michigan, and not on the iGaming/sports‐betting self-exclusion list. The MGCB continues to issue cease-and-desist notices to offshore sportsbooks that serve Michigan customers, warning that bets placed outside the licensed system lack “critical protections.”

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Michigan Daily Fantasy Sports

Daily fantasy sports apps are legal in Michigan, and operators must acquire licenses from the MGCB.

The state passed the Fantasy Contests Consumer Protection Act in 2019, creating a licensing and regulatory framework overseen by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

Under the law, operators must obtain a license to offer paid fantasy contests and must adhere to a set of consumer protection rules. Key regulations include verifying that players are 18 years of age or older, segregating player funds from operational funds, and providing responsible gaming tools.

Major DFS operators like DraftKings and FanDuel are licensed and active in Michigan, offering their traditional salary-cap style contests to residents.

Fantasy Pick’em Contests in Michigan

Fantasy pick’em style contests are illegal in Michigan.

The MGCB considers pick’em contests, which typically involve players choosing “more” or “less” on two or more athlete statistical projections, to be a form of illegal sports betting.

In August 2023, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) adopted rules explicitly prohibiting fantasy contests that “have the effect of mimicking proposition selections or contests that involve, result in, or have the effect of mimicking betting on sports.”

This action led major operators in the space, such as PrizePicks and Underdog Fantasy, to cease offering their pick’em games in Michigan.

Although these platforms may still offer other forms of legal fantasy contests in the state, the popular pick’em format is not permitted.

Industry lobbying has so far failed to win carve-outs, and bills introduced in the 2025 session to restore pick’em as a peer-to-peer format stalled in committee. Absent legislative change, MGCB is expected to keep enforcing the outright ban.

Michigan Online Lottery Sales

The Michigan Lottery offers legal online ticket sales and instant games.

Launched in 2014, the Michigan iLottery is one of the oldest and most successful online lottery platforms in the United States. It is operated by the state’s Bureau of State Lottery.

Players who are 18 years or older and reside in Michigan can create an account at the Michigan Lottery website or through its official mobile app. Registered customers can purchase tickets for major draw games like Powerball and state-specific games like Fantasy 5.

In addition to draw games, the Michigan iLottery features a large library of instant-win online games, which play similarly to scratch-off tickets, and online Keno games. All winnings under $600 are automatically deposited into players’ accounts.

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Michigan Online Horse Racing Betting

Online horse racing betting is legal in Michigan.

Fans can bet on horse races online through licensed advance deposit wagering platforms (ADWs), which are regulated by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

Residents can sign up for accounts with prominent national ADWs such as TwinSpires and AmWager to bet on live horse races hosted at tracks across the country and around the world.

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Michigan Gambling Regulators

Multiple bodies oversee gambling in Michigan, ensuring compliance and player safety across the different verticals.

  • Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB): The MGCB is the state’s primary regulatory authority. It is responsible for licensing and overseeing Detroit’s three commercial casinos, all online gambling operators (casinos, poker, sports betting), licensed fantasy contest operators, and ADW horse racing platforms. Its duties include ensuring game integrity, enforcing regulations, and promoting responsible gambling.
  • Michigan Bureau of State Lottery: Oversees all lottery products, including online ticket sale
  • Tribal Gaming Commissions: Each of Michigan’s 12 federally recognized tribes that operates a casino has its own gaming commission. These tribal agencies regulate their respective land-based casinos. For online gambling, they work in conjunction with the MGCB to ensure compliance with the state’s laws and their tribal-state gaming compacts.

Responsible Gambling Resources in Michigan

Michigan provides numerous resources for individuals seeking help with gambling-related problems:

  • Michigan Self-Exclusion: The Disassociated Persons List is a statewide self-exclusion program administered by the MGCB. Individuals can voluntarily add their names to this list, which legally prohibits them from entering any of Detroit’s commercial casinos and bans them from all licensed online gambling platforms in the state.
  • Michigan Lottery Self-Exclusion: Individuals can sign in to their Michigan iLottery accounts to request voluntary self-exclusion.
  • Don’t Regret the Bet: Launched by the MGCB to promote responsible gambling, educate gamblers on the signs of problem gambling, and provide resources to gamblers seeking help.
  • Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Gambling Disorder Helpline: This is a 24/7 confidential helpline offering support and treatment referrals for anyone affected by a gambling problem. The helpline number is 1-800-270-7117.
  • National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG): A national resource offering support via its helpline. You can call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.

Michigan Online Gambling FAQ

Yes. Michigan has legalized and regulated online casinos, online poker, online sports betting, daily fantasy sports, online lottery sales, and online horse racing betting.

You must be 21 or older to participate in online casinos, online poker, and online sports betting. For the online lottery, daily fantasy sports, and horse racing betting, the minimum age is 18.

No, you do not have to be a resident. However, you must be physically located within the borders of Michigan to place any wagers on state-licensed platforms. All operators use geolocation technology to verify your location.

Yes. Gambling winnings are considered taxable income at both the federal and state levels. Michigan’s state income tax rate is a flat 4.25%. Operators are required to issue a W-2G form for certain large wins.

The pick’em style games offered by PrizePicks are not legal in Michigan. The MGCB has prohibited fantasy contests that mimic sports betting.

Yes. Michigan joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement and now pools players with several jurisdictions.

Yes. The Michigan Lottery sells draw game tickets and online instants to players 18+ located within the state.