Safest Online Casinos in Michigan

Michigan allows legal online gambling. Several licensed online casinos are set to launch in the Wolverine State.

Michigan’s regulated market will boast safe casinos that offer fair games, timely payouts and quality customer support. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t take anything for granted when choosing gambling sites.

Untrustworthy casinos may feature faulty games, ignore player complaints and make slow payouts. Worst of all, they might not pay winnings at all. You certainly don’t want to deal with crooked sites and risk your money being stolen. Instead, you should do everything possible to ensure that you only play at safe Michigan casinos.

This page discusses which sites will be reputable. It also includes tips for how you can find worthwhile Michigan online casinos.

List of safe online casinos in Michigan

The Wolverine State hasn’t officially launched regulated online gambling sites yet. However, due to recent legislation, internet casinos will soon be going live. Below, you can see some safe MI online casinos that’ll be available. Each of these sites holds licensing with the Michigan Gaming Control Board and is fully regulated.

BetMGM Casino

Owned by MGM Resorts International, BetMGM has become one of the widest reaching online casino brands in the US. It’s featured in plenty of markets beyond Michigan.

Using licensing from the MGM Grand Detroit, BetMGM’s online casino will run on the GVC Holdings’ platform and likely offer hundreds of games. BetMGM Casino Michigan will also feature the M Life Rewards program, which boasts a variety of comps.

In terms of safety, BetMGM is associated with one of the world’s most prestigious casino brands. MGM Resorts is a multibillion-dollar company that features land-based casinos across the US and in Macau.

Listed on the London Stock Exchange, GVC Holdings is another giant in the industry. This British company operates platforms for many notable online sportsbooks and casinos.

DraftKings Casino

Launched in Boston in 2012, DraftKings quickly became synonymous with daily fantasy sports. It has since become even more prominent in US online betting and casino markets.

DraftKings enters Michigan via a partnership with Bay Mills Resort & Casinos. Upon launching, DraftKings Casino Michigan will likely boast one of the state’s largest game selections.

In the US online gambling market’s short existence, DraftKings has served as one of the most popular and safest options. This NASDAQ-listed company provides fair games and secure casino websites in legal states across America.

FanDuel Casino

Like DraftKings, FanDuel is another brand that made its name through DFS. It’s now a serious rival to DraftKings and BetMGM in many markets.

FanDuel Casino Michigan holds a partnership with Detroit’s MotorCity Casino and runs on the Scientific Games platform. The latter company, which traces its roots back to 1917, provides one of America’s most popular and secure platforms.

Flutter Entertainment owns FanDuel along with Betfair, Paddy Power and The Stars Group. It’s the world’s largest online gambling company by revenue (£2.14 billion in 2019).

PokerStars Casino

Founded in 2001, PokerStars has been the world’s largest online poker room for well over a decade. Over the past few years, it has rolled out casino and poker sites throughout the United States. PokerStars Casino comes to Michigan via a partnership with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.

Amaya Gaming purchased PokerStars for $4.9 billion in 2014. The Canadian company later rebranded to The Stars Group. In October 2019, Flutter bought The Stars Group for $6.95 billion. Like FanDuel, PokerStars Casino now boasts backing from the world’s biggest internet-gambling company.

Golden Nugget Casino

Golden Nugget rounds out our list of safe online casino sites that’ll soon launch in Michigan. It maintains a partnership with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and runs on Scientific Games’ platform.

Owned by Landry’s Inc., Golden Nugget Casino has proven to offer fair games in other markets. It also boasts secure websites that are protected by SSL encryption.

How to spot and avoid unsafe online casinos

The online casinos covered above hold licensing from the MGCB. Therefore, you can largely trust them when they go live.

Of course, other sites are available to the Michigan market — both licensed and unlicensed. You should proceed with caution regarding any internet casino that exhibits one or more of the following warning signs.

1. No Michigan licensing

On Dec. 20, 2019, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the Lawful Internet Gaming Act (HB 4311) into effect. HB 4311 legalizes online casinos in the Wolverine State. It also gives the MGCB authority over the state’s online casino market. The MGCB interviews applicants, approves operators and ensures that players are protected.

Player protection is key, given that rogue casinos sometimes cheat gamblers through faulty games and late or no payments. You can’t fully trust a casino that hasn’t gained MGCB approval. If an offshore casino rips you off, you have no recourse for settling the matter.

2. No history

All gambling sites will be brand new in Michigan when they launch. However, each of the casinos that we’ve covered currently maintains histories in other markets.

DraftKings, for example, has been serving DFS players for nearly a decade. It has also been active in US online casino markets for the past few years. You can place more faith in DraftKings and other MI internet casinos because they have histories in other states. Furthermore, you can thoroughly research them to find their pros and cons.

The same thing cannot be said for brand-new casinos because they’ve yet to serve anybody. You may still decide to join a new online casino, but you should proceed with caution.

3. Lack of brand recognition

If a site doesn’t boast an impressive history, it should, at least, feature brand recognition. Casinos with strong brands behind them instill more confidence. For example, Golden Nugget Casino is owned by Landry’s. Landry’s owns and operates over 600 casinos, hotels and restaurants across America.

Any online casino that lacks both history and brand recognition is difficult to trust. You can’t properly research such sites before depositing with them.

4. Poor reviews

Reviews are excellent resources for determining an internet casino’s value. They discuss how a site rates in various areas, including casino bonuses, games, reputability and more. We recommend checking out one or more reviews on Michigan sites.

When reading these reviews, you should form a composite view of how a casino ranks in each department. You’ll want to pay special attention to a site’s reputation and ability to pay on time. Any casino that fails in these areas isn’t worth your time.

5. Blacklisted

Blacklisting refers to when a governing body and/or review sites urge against playing at certain online casinos. Casino sites can land on a blacklist for one or more of the following reasons:

  • Ambiguous bonus terms and conditions.
  • Failure to deliver payouts in a timely manner.
  • Failure to pay at all.
  • Poor customer service.
  • Rigged or faulty games.

You should never play at an online casino that’s blacklisted by the MGCB or various other reputable websites. Such blacklisted sites could deceive you in one or more ways.

6. Failure to honor bonus terms

Internet casinos attach terms and conditions to each bonus. These terms ensure that you must work to earn a bonus rather than just cashing it out right away. Both you and the casino should adhere to the terms.

Any site that refuses to honor its own terms and conditions and pay bonuses is definitely not worthwhile, and you should avoid it. Of course, you don’t want to find out firsthand if a casino is irresponsible about paying bonuses. Instead, you can read reviews to see if a site has had past issues with honoring terms and conditions.

7. Murky ownership structure

Reputable internet casinos don’t hide their owner(s). They’re upfront with this information, and they supply information on their ownership and board (if applicable). Flutter Entertainment, for example, publicly lists the following board members:

  • Chairman Gary McGaan
  • CEO Peter Jackson
  • CFO Jonathan Hill
  • Deputy Chairman Divyesh Gadhia
  • Senior Independent Director Andrew Higginson

Not every casino parent company needs to feature an extensive board. However, at a minimum, casinos should be willing to provide some information on their ownership and/or officers.

8. Accepts bitcoin

Legal Michigan online casinos will accept prominent payment options. They’re likely to take ACH (e-checks), cash (in land-based casinos), credit cards, e-wallet systems, PayNearMe and prepaid cards. Each likely payment option is associated with brand names. Regulated casinos can work with prominent banking methods because they’re legal.

Unlicensed gambling sites, meanwhile, often accept bitcoin, a cryptocurrency that’s not regulated by banks. These types of unapproved casinos serve Michigan, or any other state, without regulation. You should choose regulated MI casinos over such sites.

What makes an online casino safe and secure?

Safe Michigan online casinos all have similarities that make them worthwhile. You should focus on gambling sites that feature most or all of the following qualities.

1. Operate in regulated markets

Trustworthy internet casinos obtain licensing before operating in a jurisdiction. They seek licensing for two main reasons:

  1. They want to operate legally in a market.
  2. They want to inspire trust in their customers.

Licensed casinos want reputability and no hassles from local governments. In contrast, unlicensed casinos are willing to illegally operate in states/countries without approval.

2. Strong brand recognition

A notable brand name inspires more faith in an internet casino. For example, BetMGM, DraftKings and PokerStars are well-known names.

Of course, casino sites can still be worthwhile, even if they don’t feature a popular parent company. However, you don’t need to do as much guesswork when seeking quality casinos when you stick to popular brands.

3. History of quality service

Any internet casino that’s been around for a while features a history. Depending upon how it has treated players, its history will be good or bad. You obviously want to stick with casinos that boast a credible past. In contrast, you’re taking a leap of faith with a new site.

4. Pay bonuses as advertised

Online casinos expect you to follow their terms and conditions when earning bonuses. They commonly require you to meet most/all of the following terms:

  • “Claim” the bonus from your account.
  • Meet a playthrough requirement (multiple of the bonus) before withdrawing.
  • Don’t bet over the maximum allowed amount (e.g. $100).
  • Watch for games with higher playthrough (e.g. blackjack due to its high return-to-player rate).
  • Don’t deposit with Neteller or Skrill.

These terms represent just some of what you’ll see at Michigan casinos. Given that you must satisfy each term and condition, you should hold casinos to the same standard.

Quality casino sites deliver bonus cash when you’ve met the terms and conditions. A nefarious casino, meanwhile, will try to avoid paying your bonus and will offer questionable justifications.

5. Favorable reviews

The best Michigan online casinos will shine in reviews. They’ll impress critics in terms of game selection, banking methods, promotions and customer support. Some websites rank their top MI online casinos. You can use these rankings as a shortcut to help find the best of the best.

Conversely, low-quality casinos draw poor marks from the critics. They may even sink to blacklisted status if they’re bad enough.

6. Reputable software providers

Every Michigan online casino will probably feature at least three or four software providers. The top sites will work with the most elite developers.

Respected software developers provide high-quality casino games that clearly explain odds and RTP rates. They don’t run games that glitch or cheat players.

Some of the providers to look for in the Michigan market include:

  • Bally — Longtime developer of land-based and online slots.
  • Evolution Gaming — The premier studio in terms of live dealer games.
  • IGT — Responsible for hit slots like Cleopatra, Da Vinci Diamonds and Siberian Tiger.
  • NetEnt — Has produced hits like Blood Suckers, Divine Fortune and Mega Fortune.
  • Williams Interactive (WMS) — Developer of popular slots series such as Kronos and Zeus.

Conclusion

Luckily, Michigan makes the process of choosing safe online casinos easy. The MGCB eliminates much of the work frequently involved in researching integrity by only approving reputable online casinos.

Nevertheless, you don’t want to take any chances. The tips and recommendations in this guide will help you pick quality sites. If there’s one tip above all to follow, you should always stick with MGCB-licensed casinos. This way, you can be confident in the sites that you choose.