Top Online Casinos for Michigan in 2024

The Wolverine State hasn’t been shy to embrace legal gambling, including taking Michigan casinos online with new 2019 approved legislation.

Many Michigan online casinos have been around for a while, though. Some are excellent, some are bad. We’ll start this guide with out list of the best real money MI casinos online right now.

How We Rate

Gambling safety and security

Safety & Security

You should be able to gamble online without fear. So we only recommend licensed sites that use the latest security and encryption techniques.

Gambling bonuses and promotions

Bonuses

Maximize your bankroll with fantastic bonuses. Our recommended sites offer valuable bonuses with fair terms and conditions, including manageable wagering requirements.

Casino games

Games & Betting

The best sites have the best wagering options. That’s why you will find extensive games and betting opportunities on our recommended sites.

Gambling banking methods

Banking

Getting your money to and from your account shouldn’t be a hassle. We only recommend sites with a variety of convenient banking methods, including cryptocurrency and e-wallets.

Detroit is home to some of the grandest casinos in Michigan with Greektown, MGM Grand, and Motor City. But you don’t have to drive for hours to play slots or blackjack, as there’s a total of 26 land-based casinos from Baraga to New Buffalo.

Gambling online is even more convenient, of course. With a few clicks of your computer keyboard or smartphone, you can have instant access to online slots, table games, video poker, etc.

If you find that surprising, you’re not alone, as many people aren’t aware that there are Michigan casinos online yet, let alone safe, secure, and quality ones.

But we’ll fill you in on your options, the criteria we use to rate and rank the best Michigan online casinos, and the differences between in-person and virtual gambling.

Michigan Online Casinos vs. Land-Based

As you’re looking for information on legitimate online casinos for Michigan, you may already be aware of the brick and mortar situation. Casinos in MI run from one end of the state to the other, with 23 Native American venues and three commercial casinos in Detroit.

Each of the land-based casinos has machine-based gambling that includes slots and video poker. Not all, but most also have table games. Tables include standards like Blackjack, Roulette, and Craps.

Take the gambling opportunities that you’ll find in the best casinos in Michigan, turn them into virtual games, and you’ll know what’s offered in MI online casinos as well.

The real money gambling sites that accept players from the Wolverine State provide hundreds of slots, table games, video poker, and maybe some keno or bingo thrown in for good measure.

On top of the main virtual casino floor, some of the top Michigan online casinos also have live casinos, and we’re not talking about the brick and mortar variety.

Live dealer casinos feature actual dealers in a studio managing the table, dealing out the cards, and interacting with players. Depending on the table, you’ll be competing against your fellow punters, with the option to chat with them and make some new friends.

The Ins and Outs of Legal MI Gambling

Gambling is legal in Michigan, and that includes online as well. However, the minimum age requirement is fuzzy. In some casinos, you have to be 21. Others, like Turtle Creek and Soaring Eagle, let you play starting at 18.

For example, all three of the Detroit casinos require players to be 21 or older. But if you’re planning to head to one of the 23 tribal-run casinos, the minimum age varies. You could be anywhere from 18 to 21, so you’ll want to double-check if you’re between 18 and 20.

Age Requirements in MI Online Casinos

Michigan online casinos typically stick to local legislation, which can make things a bit tricky. So, if you’re in doubt about whether or not you can play Michigan online casino slots or not, it’s best to read through the terms and conditions provided by the operator.

All of those little details aren’t necessarily linked to the website’s main menu. But scroll to the bottom of the homepage, and you should see “terms” or “terms and conditions” somewhere in the footer. They spell out everything from jurisdictions to the minimum age requirement.

Online Gambling Legislation

As far as online blackjack, or any other web-based betting opportunity, pretty much is everything on the table. Michigan first dipped its toe into the virtual gambling waters in 2014 with virtual lottery play, including instant games.

The most significant legislation came in December of 2019 when the state approved sports betting, online casino games, and poker.

There seems to be no rush for in-state regulated websites to roll out, as they’ll be introduced one by one in 2020 and 2021. But some out of area operations that allow Americans to register have already welcomed players from Michigan.

If you have more questions on Michigan’s legal gambling status, we’ve got an entire section of our site dedicated to Michigan gambling laws and pending approvals.

Best Casinos in Michigan

Many Michigan residents consider gambling to be a pastime. So, 26 casinos are sprinkled throughout the state.

The three resort-style properties are in Detroit, and 23 Native American casinos spread out to cover more ground. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if you’re a few hours away from Motor City; you can still spin the slot reels in a nearby venue.

Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort

  • 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd.
  • Pleasant, MI 48858
  • 989-775-5777

While the three Motor City properties get the spotlight, one of the best Michigan casinos is in Mt. Pleasant. Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort isn’t only the largest North American gambling venue in Michigan but is one of the biggest in the US.

Soaring Eagle is a resort property with 3,300 slots and 70 table games. Additionally, though, the Soaring Eagle Slot Palace is right across the street with 700 more gambling machines. Slot and table gaming include some progressive jackpots as well.

The venue is open 24/7 and has more than just a 210,000 square foot casino floor. There’s a 500-room hotel, a spa, and nine restaurants.

Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Michigan

Detroit’s MGM Grand

  • 1777 3rd Avenue
  • Detroit, MI 48226
  • 877-888-2121

We’d be remiss not to do a shout out to the Detroit casinos, though. The MGM Grand rivals Soaring Eagle from its downtown locations.

You’ll find 3,500 machines at the MGM. There are 140+ table games and a sportsbook. The hotel is slightly smaller with 400 rooms compared to Soaring Eagle’s 500.

Like the Mt. Pleasant venue, though, MGM has a spa, various restaurants, and 24-hour a day betting opportunities.

MGM Grand in Detroit, MI

Looking for Michigan Casinos Online?

Now that we’ve given land-based casinos a shout out let’s switch gears and talk about real money casinos online in Michigan.

As state-originated sites are still in the development stage, we’re focusing on the out of area operators that provide online casinos in Michigan, as well as most other US locations.

They fall into two categories, as some of the websites stick to casino gaming, with slots, tables, and video poker. A few of the best casinos in MI are full-service, though. In addition to a casino, they have sports betting, a racebook, and a poker room.

We’ll fill you in more on the games in the next section. Before we get there, though, there are a few things that you’ll want to know about online casinos in Michigan. You’ll find the information especially helpful if you haven’t visited a gambling site as yet.

You may be a regular at a land-based casino in your area with a player’s card, perks, and a comfort level regarding the betting opportunities and services. However, when you switch gears and access a real money MI online casino, it’s a whole new world. The gaming translates the easiest, especially with slots or other gambling machines.

The differences really come into play with banking and player perks. Instead of using cash to buy credits or chips, you’ll need alternative ways to fund your betting account, and promotions vary as well, as you won’t be gifted with comps like meals or hotel rooms.

Depositing and Withdrawing at Online Casinos

Let’s start with the financial end of things, though. You won’t have access to the online casino if you can’t transfer money into it, so it’s an integral piece of the puzzle.

Americans have significant challenges when it comes to funding virtual gambling, as other areas of the world have more e-wallet and prepaid methods.

Even though it’s not quite as easy to make deposits to online casinos for Michigan, a bit of planning will get you there so, no worries.

You’ll find that Michigan’s best and safest real money casinos online accept debit and credit cards and cryptocurrency. As a plan B, you could do a person to person transfer or even send in a money order or cashier’s check. But let’s get back to the top two.

All of the MI online casinos accept Visa and Mastercard, and some expand the list to include American Express and Discover. They also allow for debit and credit cards, as well as gift and prepaid.

The prepaid versions might be easier to get approved. But, if you’re using a provider that allows for card payouts, in addition to deposits, the rule doesn’t apply to gift-type cards.

Now, keep in mind that when you use a card to fund your betting account, you’re at the mercy of your financial institution. So, there’s no guarantee that your transfer request will be granted as it’s going to be a case by case kind of thing. That’s why cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, are the best banking alternative to use with gambling sites.

Bitcoin is the number one for acceptance. Like cards, you’d be hard-pressed to find a casino that doesn’t accept Bitcoin these days. However, quite a few of the top real money MI online casinos have expanded their crypto reach to include others like Ripple, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, etc.

Top Tip
Cryptocurrencies are beneficial beyond the approval process. You can deposit and receive payouts back to the same Bitcoin (or other cryptos) wallet. Additionally, these types of transfers are free and much faster than conventional banking methods.

Bonuses and Rewards at Online Casinos

Let’s move on from banking to bonuses, as player perks are also significantly different when you go from a land-based casino to online.

If you have a casino rewards card at a brick and mortar casino, you’re well aware of the types of incentives that gambling venues tend to provide to players. Not only do you get some bonus play cash from time to time, but you can earn comps like free meals or rooms.

The bonus cash is a real incentive, as you typically just need to play it through once to reap some benefits.

Now, if you plan your casino trips based on promotions like bonus cash, you’ll be happy to know that online casinos for Michigan also incentivize players. You’re welcomed into the fold with offers like a 200% welcome deposit up to $200. That sounds pretty good, right?

One of the best pieces of advice that we can give to you, aside from making sure you select a proven and safe online casino, is to understand how MI online casino bonuses work before you accept one.

Mobile and online casinos tend to primarily stick to promotions called deposit bonuses, like our previous example of a 200% welcome deposit up to $200. So, the value of the award depends on how much you plan to transfer to your betting account. That’s all easy enough, so far. With a 200% match, if you deposit $100, you’ll get another $200 in bonus play.

Here’s where things are different, though. A deposit match bonus has a rollover attached, and it’ll vary depending on which Michigan online casino you’ve selected. The rollover is the number of times that you have to play, not only your bonus but bonus plus deposit in most cases.

Let’s say that there’s an X30 rollover with the 200% bonus scenario. Depositing $100 to get $200 becomes $300 with an X30 rollover of $9,000 in wagering before you can cash out any winnings.

The rollover math is why we always recommend that players read through bonus terms and conditions thoroughly. As long as you know what’s required, you can decide whether you want to accept the deposit match.

Online Slots and Table Games

Now that you’re familiar with banking and bonuses, which will help you to decide which of the top real money Michigan online casinos you want to use, there’s one more thing that’ll help you narrow the field even more.

You’re looking for a gambling site because you want to play games and, hopefully, win some cash. So, of course, you want to know what betting opportunities are available to you.

Gambling sites in places outside of the US are all over the place with gaming. You could find a full-service site with 200 slots or a dedicated online casino with more than 1,000. That’s not the case in the United States, though. Even though there’s a few different MI casinos online, they primarily use one of two primary software providers.

BetSoft and RealTime Gaming logos

RealTime Gaming and Betsoft are the top two companies that produce online games for US-facing gambling sites.

You may see some player forums talking about Betsoft casinos or RTG casinos, and that’s because you’ll get to know the games based on the studio that designed them.

Some MI online casinos stand out a bit because they supplement their slot banks or tables with additional betting opportunities from smaller boutique companies. But, for the most part, there’s quite a bit of consistency across the board with all real money casinos online in Michigan.

Now that you know that you’re looking for one or the other, you probably wonder about the difference. It’s really a matter of preference. Slot game titles are entirely distinct, depending on the software provider.

RTG has some feature guarantee slots that you might find appealing, while Betsoft has been busy producing new games that are feature-rich. With table games, Betsoft has a slight edge with its 3D effects, but they both cover the gamut with casino standards.

Both providers also offer a variety of other games, including video poker, tables, and specialty versions like keno or scratch cards.

Take Your MI Online Casino on the Road

Michigan Online casinos take away the travel requirement by letting you play slots or tables from your desktop or laptop. But these days, gambling sites go a step further with safe and secure mobile online casinos for Michigan.

As little as a few years ago, mobile play was limited to a few games here and there, and you needed high-powered readers to see the buttons. But these days, the best real money MI online casinos are accessed on desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone. Aside from the smaller screen size, you probably won’t notice any other difference.

You won’t find these gambling sites in the Google Play or Apple Store, as apps aren’t required. To take advantage of our MI online casino recommendations, just type the address into your mobile browser. Voila, there’s an instant casino wherever you are, at home or on the road.

Playing online casino games on a mobile device

Assessing the Top Michigan Online Casinos

Some people aren’t even aware that they can already play online blackjack in Michigan or do some slot wagering from their mobile phones.

Gambling sites for US players, including Michiganders, don’t appear in a nice, concise list when you do an internet search. There isn’t an official online gambling directory that you can access for your hometown, either.

The good news is that we’ve done quite a bit of legwork regarding Michigan online casino availability.

Now, we don’t have a roster of every gambling site worldwide. But we have something better. Instead of including every gambling operator, we have location-based recommendations for legit online casinos for Michigan.

It’s important to us that you understand how we arrived at this list. We didn’t close our eyes and point at a bunch of website names. Instead, we developed our rankings of the top Michigan online casinos based on a lengthy review process.

Above all else, a MI online casino that we recommend must have a good reputation. So, if there’s a provider with a track record of no-payouts or other player issues, we can’t even consider it. Beyond the background check, the team then moves onto a comprehensive review.

Each evaluation covers the website as a whole, customer service, the variety and number of games, and banking options, fees, and payouts, as well as bonus programs, tournaments, mobile play, user-friendliness, and player feedback.

We revisit reviews frequently, which is why you may see our overall rankings change from time to time. Our goal is to stay on top of everything in the real money online casinos in Michigan and beyond.

best Michigan online casinos

Summary

Things have changed with gambling websites, especially in the past five years. Operators are more accountable, as players hold them to that responsibility. So, if you’re looking for a real money Michigan online casino, you’ve got quite a few legitimate, safe, and secure options.

You’ll want to keep in mind the three b’s, though: betting opportunities, banking, and bonuses. As long as you understand the differences between land-based and online casinos in MI, your experience will be so much better. So, don’t just do an internet search for Michigan online casinos; use all of the available resources.

You’ve got our recommendations at your disposal, and you can always read through our full reviews to learn more. The bottom line is that you now know what to look for, so narrow your options accordingly, and you’ll end up with the absolute best online casino in Michigan for you.

Kevin Roberts
Kevin Roberts Administrator

Kevin Roberts, previously published under the pseudonym Noah Davis, is one of the more diverse writers at GamblingSites.com. Like many of his colleagues, he's a huge fan of both football and basketball. But he also writes about box office records, TV show prop bets, DFS, and all kinds of other subjects.

When it comes to the NFL, Kevin's favorite team is the Green Bay Packers. He enjoys cheering them on with his wife and daughter.

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