Michigan Gambling Guide: BetMichigan.com Expert Reviews for 2025

Michigan Gambling Guides

Legal Forms of Gambling in Michigan

There are several forms of legal gambling in Michigan, regulated by state laws and overseen by the Michigan Gaming Control Board and Michigan Lottery. Here is a comprehensive list of legal forms of gambling in MI.  

• Casino Gambling Michigan has two types of casinos: commercial casinos and tribal casinos, both offering slot machines, table games, poker and more. Commercial casinos in the Great Lake State are located only in Detroit while tribal casinos can be found across the state. Regardless of the casino that you plan to enter, you must be at least 21 years old to play at both. Michigan has three state-licensed commercial casinos, located specifically in Detroit: MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity casino and Hollywood Casino at Greektown. These casinos are large-scale, offering thousands of slot machines, plenty of table games, hotels and retail sportsbooks. There are 22 tribal casinos operated by 12 federally recognized tribes throughout Michigan. These also offer slots, table games, poker and hotels, while some offer sportsbooks. Tribal casinos operate under federal law and gaming compacts with the state.
• Online Casinos Online casinos in Michigan were legalized in 2019. In fact, Michigan has one of the largest iGaming markets in the US featuring 15 online casinos offering slots, blackjack, roulette, poker and several other online games. Online casino operators must be licensed by the MGCB and players must be at least 21 years old and physically located within state lines.
• Sports Betting Sports betting went live in 2020 with retail and online sports betting available, giving sports bettors the ability to wager on sports in person or on the go. And there's a lot to go around with plenty of Michigan sportsbooks to choose from. Having launched in January 2021, Michigan has one of the largest online sports betting markets in the US with more than $5 billion in wagers from 12 operators last year. In-person sports betting is legal at commercial and tribal casinos, having gone live in March 2020. The hype over retail sports betting is the entertainment value, where you can place bets in person and then watch those games on a video wall and multiple TVs with the ability to play casino games and order food and drink.
• Horse Racing Horse racing has been legal since the Racing Act of 1933, with pari-mutuel wagering on live and simulcast horse races. Online pari-mutuel wagering is also allowed under the Lawful Internet Gaming Act of 2019, which expanded legal online forms of gambling, including betting on horse races, in Michigan.
• Lottery The Michigan Lottery offers online tickets, instant games and draw-based games, all of which contribute significantly to state revenue. You must be at least 18 years old to play the lottery in the Great Lake State. The state lottery became legal in 1972 but the online sale of lottery tickets became legal in 2014, allowing the convenience of purchasing and checking tickets whenever, wherever.
• Poker While you can find poker at each of the state's three casinos, you can also play online poker in Michigan under the same Lawful Internet Gaming Act of 2019. You can find plenty of places to play poker online through licensed platforms here.
• Daily Fantasy Sports Daily Fantasy Sports contests were made legal in 2019 under the Fantasy Contests Consumer Protection Act, allowing platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel to operate legally. You need to be at least 18 years old to play DFS in Michigan.

Legal Wagers to Make at All Michigan Sports Gambling Sites

You can make an infinite amount of legal bets in Michigan sports betting, with a wide variety of betting types available on across all online sportsbooks.

Of course, some MI betting sites offer more than others. Take a look at our breakdown below of every betting type you can use in Michigan. 

• Moneyline Your first bet on sports is likely to be on the moneyline - it is the most straightforward market. Which team do you think will win a game? The favorite's price will carry a minus sign; -150 means you have to stake $150 to win $100. The underdog's odds come with a plus, and +160 means you win $160 for every $100 you wager.
• Parlays When you place a parlay, you cover several selections with a single stake. As each of your picks wins, the return rolls on to the next. It is possible to win a big payout - but all of your choices have to be correct for that to happen. If just one of them loses, so do you.
• Totals Also known as over/unders, these bets relate to the number of times something happens during a game. The most popular bet of this type is on the total points, runs or goals scored by both teams combined. The sportsbook suggests a total and you decide whether to bet on the over or the under, depending on how high you think the scoring will be.
• Point Spreads A point spread is a handicap. By giving the underdog a start, the sportsbook evens up the odds about both sides - usually -110/-110. You then decide whether or not the favorite will win by more or fewer than the spread, and wager accordingly. This type of bet is known as the run line in baseball and the puck line when it is applied to hockey.
• Futures This type of bet is offered on long-term markets, and enable you to bet on events that will not be decided for several weeks or months. If, for instance, you believe the Detroit Lions will win their division next season, you will be able to back your hunch before the first NFL game gets under way. Futures can also be applied to markets such as season-long totals and MVP awards.
• Prop Bets There are an extraordinary number of wagers that can be placed on outcomes within a game that do not relate directly to its overall outcome. You can find proposition bets on individual players' performances, the result at half-time, the first team to reach a certain number of points. The possibilities are almost limitless, and it is possible to find literally scores of markets relating to a single game.
• Live Bets One of the most exciting ways to enjoy sports betting in Michigan and elsewhere is to wager in play. Live betting is one of the best innovations to hit the sports wagering industry in recent years; the odds move fast in response to the ebb and flow of the action, and you can place bets in response. The best Michigan sports betting sites offer a host of opportunities to engage in live betting.
• Prohibited Bets There are some events on which no legalized and licensed sports betting operator will carry markets. Michigan is fairly liberal when it comes to restrictions; you are at liberty to bet on games of college football involving teams based in the state, and many operators offer odds on the Academy Awards. However, wagering on politics is strictly forbidden and you should not be able to place a wager on local, national or international elections.

Alternative Michigan Betting Options for Anyone Over 21

On top of the standard betting options in Michigan, there are still many more wagers you can make, including horse racing and the rapid growth of daily fantasy sports.

Below, we cover everything you need to know about the top alternative options for Michigan sports betting. In addition, we cover some events you may want to bet on but legally can't at MI sportsbooks.

• Daily Fantasy Sports Daily Fantasy Sports in Michigan were legalized in 2019 under the same legislation that made online sports betting legal. DraftKings and FanDuel, the two leading DFS operators across the nation, both offer their services here. In each case, you can use your sports betting wallet to back your DFS selections.
• Horse Racing There are opportunities to bet on horse racing in Michigan. Regular harness racing takes place at Northville Downs, the only active racetrack in the state. You can also wager on simulcasts there of races at other tracks, while there are also several online racing websites available for use by Michiganders.
• Elections You may occasionally see lists of odds relating to the outcome of political elections. However, these are for indicative purposes only. No licensed sportsbook anywhere in the United States is allowed to take bets on elections at home or abroad.
• Pop Culture Ceremonies Although the term "sportsbook" suggests where the main focus of activity is, there are occasions when bets can be placed on non-sporting events. The Michigan Gaming Control Board permits bets to be taken on the Academy Awards, for instance. It is always worth checking to see if your sportsbook carries markets on other popular ceremonies and reality TV shows.
• eSports The picture regarding wagering on esports is not entirely clear. The Michigan sports betting law that authorized sports betting did not mention esports specifically sentences on what this involves and if it is legal or not in the state of Michigan. The only places that take esports bets are retail sportsbooks at certain tribal casinos, although you can play DFS esports games at DraftKings and FanDuel.

Start Betting Today with the Best Michigan Sports Betting Sites

Michigan sports betting is 100% legal and operational. As long as you're 21 years or older, you can place bets at 13 different Michigan online sports betting sites and over 20 retail sportsbooks. Explore the extensive features of these platforms through comprehensive reviews on BetMichigan, covering odds, sports markets, app quality, and more. New users can seize substantial promotions exclusive to this site and worth over $2,000 in value. Rely on BetMichigan as your trusted source for legal Michigan sports betting and use our expert information to choose your sportsbook today.