Michigan Real Money Gambling Apps Set For Late 2020 Launch
In December 2019, Michigan became the 20th state in the US to legalize domestic sports betting.
But in so doing, it also became just the fifth state to legalize local online casino gaming and the sixth to authorize in-state online poker.
While fans of these real money betting markets could already use legal online gambling sites operating outside of US borders, the fact that there will be a multitude of domestic options launching in the next few months should be a welcome development for MI gamblers who would rather keep more of their expenditures inside their local economies.
For them, the state has shared its intent to launch the first of these gambling apps and websites before the end of the calendar year.
While the emphasis of the endeavor is on sports betting, given that it’s by far the easiest service to set up for both operators and regulators, you can expect online casino play and online poker to go live – in perhaps a more limited capacity – right alongside sports wagering.
When it does, you’ll be able to bet via desktop and laptop, regardless of platform.
Similarly – and more importantly – you’ll be able to wager via iPhone gambling apps, iPad apps, and Android betting apps, as these domestic operators will release official apps on the App Store and Google Play.
This is one of the chief technical differences between domestic online gambling and offshore gaming, as overseas services – though legal to use – cannot offer their mobile gambling apps in Apple’s or Google’s US storefronts.
Thus, if you go with a legitimate online casino operating outside of US jurisdiction, you’ll be using a web app, which is an app-like experience that mimics native apps through Safari, Chrome, and other modern browsers.
That’s typically a good thing, as these require no downloads or updates, but some users prefer to gamble with native apps from local vendors.
For such players, Michigan’s 26 casinos – 23 of which are tribal venues – will be allowed to offer sports betting apps, online casino apps, and online poker apps.
Each venue may legally only offer one product (or “skin”) for each type of gambling, and these can either be developed and hosted by contracted partners or by the casinos themselves.
In most cases, the partner model drives the industry, especially when the operators are racing to be the first to go live.
So far, many MI venues have established partnerships for one, two, or all three online gambling markets. These venues and their presumptive app providers are listed below:
Bay Mills Resort & Casino
- Sportsbook: DraftKings
- Casino: DraftKings
- Poker: TBA
FireKeepers Casino Hotel
- Sportsbook: In-House
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
Four Winds Dowagiac
- Sportsbook: TBA
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
Four Winds Hartford
- Sportsbook: TBA
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
Four Winds New Buffalo
- Sportsbook: TBA
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
Greektown Casino Hotel*
- Sportsbook: Barstool
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
Gun Lake Casino
- Sportsbook: TBA (Parx Casino)
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
Island Resort & Casino
- Sportsbook: BetAmerica
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
Kewadin Casino – Christmas
- Sportsbook: GAN
- Casino: GAN
- Poker: TBA
Kewadin Casino – Hessel
- Sportsbook: GAN
- Casino: GAN
- Poker: TBA
Kewadin Casino – Manistique
- Sportsbook: GAN
- Casino: GAN
- Poker: TBA
Kewadin Casino – Sault St. Marie
- Sportsbook: GAN
- Casino: GAN
- Poker: TBA
Kewadin Shores Casino – St. Ignace
- Sportsbook: GAN
- Casino: GAN
- Poker: TBA
Kings Club Casino
- Sportsbook: DraftKings
- Casino: DraftKings
- Poker: TBA
Leelanau Sands Casino
- Sportsbook: William Hill
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
Little River Casino and Resort
- Sportsbook: BetRivers
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
MGM Grand Detroit*
- Sportsbook: BetMGM
- Casino: BetMGM
- Poker: PartyPoker
MotorCity Casino Hotel*
- Sportsbook: FanDuel
- Casino: FanDuel
- Poker: TBA
Northern Waters Casino Resort
- Sportsbook: PointsBet
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
Odawa Casino Resort
- Sportsbook: FOX Bet
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: PokerStars
Ojibwa Casino – Marquette
- Sportsbook: Golden Nugget Online Gaming
- Casino: Golden Nugget Online Gaming
- Poker: TBA
Ojibwa Casino Resort – Baraga
- Sportsbook: Golden Nugget Online Gaming
- Casino: Golden Nugget Online Gaming
- Poker: TBA
Saganing Eagles Landing Casino
- Sportsbook: TBA
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
- Sportsbook: TBA
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel
- Sportsbook: William Hill
- Casino: TBA
- Poker: TBA
*Commercial casinos based in Detroit
As you can see, there are still an awful lot of TBAs for online casino operators and online poker operators at most established venues.
Still, as soon as any operator goes live, as long as you’re inside MI itself, you can sign up and wager with them.
But, as stated, you don’t actually have to wait at all.
Instead, you can sign up and gamble for real money at any of several reputable overseas betting sites, many of which offer all three markets – plus horse racing betting – to American players aged 18 and up.
Further, these sites give out real cash and free-play bonuses to new and returning members, which is something domestic operators are typically not allowed to offer.
And as always, you can even bet with Bitcoin when using offshore gambling sites, which is another major point in their favor.
The choice is yours.
Fortunately, the choice is also very clear.