As of March 2020, sports betting has been legal in the state of Michigan. The law now permits online and in-person betting, although there are restrictions on how and where bets can be made. In-person sports bets are restricted to specific casinos in the state, while online sportsbooks need to be licensed. These online sportsbooks will accept both residents and visitors to the state of Michigan, provided they’re at least 21 and within the state borders when placing their bets.
Although in-person sports betting was available straight away, it took a bit longer for online sportsbooks to go live in the state. Finally, as of January 2021, Michigan online sportsbooks are now available, offering a wide range of betting options and some great bonuses. We’ve written up a short guide on placing bets online in Michigan, including how to find the best Michigan betting apps and what options are available.
Choosing an Online Sportsbook in Michigan
While online sportsbooks have only recently launched, there are already lots of great options to choose from. Finding a good online sportsbook is important as different sportsbooks offer different markets, odds, sports, and bonuses. When choosing an online sportsbook, you should consider the following aspects of the site:
Safety and trustworthiness
The Michigan Gaming Control Board must approve a license for each legal Michigan sportsbook. This organization makes sure that gambling sites comply with the rules and that your funds are safe when using the site. Michigan users won’t be able to sign up for sportsbooks without a license from this organization. Although off-shore sites are available, they don’t offer the same level of safety and aren’t legal. Online sportsbooks should also use encryption to keep your data secure.
Markets and odds available
The whole point of signing up for an online sportsbook is to place bets on sports, so you want to make sure that the site offers the right markets on the sports you like to bet on. You’ll also want to check out the typical odds, as better odds will mean you can potentially win more. The odds are fairly similar between major sites, but you can often find some good value by checking odds before you place your bet.
Welcome bonus, regular bonuses, and features
The best part of signing up for a new online sportsbook is claiming the welcome offer. These are a type of promotion only available to new players, giving you some extra bonus cash or free bets when you sign up for the first time. Most sportsbooks offer these bonuses, but the value you can get out of them varies a lot. There are also regular bonuses to watch out for and features such as in-play bets and more.
Legal Online Sportsbooks in Michigan
Legal online sportsbooks went live in the state of Michigan from January 2021. So far, multiple sites have launched, although we can most likely expect more to come over the next few months. Some of the biggest betting brands in the US have now set up sportsbooks right here in MI. The best legal online sportsbooks in Michigan include:
- FanDuel – Partnered with the Motor City Casino Hotel, the FanDuel sportsbook lets users sign up and play from desktop or an easy-to-use app. Although FanDuel is best known for fantasy sports, it’s now one of the biggest sportsbooks in the US and provides loads of great betting markets on major sports.
- BetMGM – Partnered with the MGM Grand Detroit, BetMGM is already live across multiple US states and is now available in Michigan too. The site offers some excellent bonuses, including a generous matched deposit offer worth up to $500. This bonus is available to all new signups.
- PointsBet – PointsBet is partnered with the Northern Waters Casino Resort and offers some of the most comprehensive markets of any other US sportsbook. As well as providing markets across all major US sports, the site features a new way to bet, PointsBetting, which offers plenty of opportunities to win.