Best Michigan Poker Sites

There is some very good news on the way for online poker players in Michigan. Regulations for online gambling in the state are already in place. More importantly, the first online poker sites in Michigan have already laid their groundwork. It looks like online poker in Michigan will become a reality sooner rather than later.

While online gambling in the state was set for a 2021 launch date at the earliest, this isn't the case anymore. Right now, all signs point towards a 2020 launch for gambling sites. And that, of course, will also include the first online poker sites in Michigan.

Michigan has had an odd relationship with gambling as it is legal, but it is also not as openly encouraged as it might be in other states. However, there are no laws prohibiting private citizens from playing online poker in the privacy of their homes. Furthermore, there are no Federal laws that make online poker illegalfor private citizens.

• When they’re flipped over you can receive jackpots based on poker hand rankings. So, in other words blind video poker. I don’t really see the harm in it if it stays in the realm of non-currency wagers. Even if it doesn’t just don’t play it if you don’t want to play house games. Epic Fail: PokerStars Duel.
• PokerStars MI became the first online poker room to go live in Michigan, launching on January 29, 2021. PokerStars brought legal regulated online poker to Michigan as part of a coordinated launch that also saw it go live with PokerStars Casino in Michigan and the FOX Sports sportsbook in Michigan. At the moment, PokerStars is the only operator offering internet poker in the state.
• Considering the severity of Michigan’s gambling and betting laws, players are encouraged to never play live real money poker at an unlicensed facility and only at fully legal real cash poker gambling establishments. To read more about the state’s gambling and poker betting statutes, please visit the “References” section.

After a first attempt in 2018 which did not go through, Michigan finally signed its gambling sites legislation in 2019. The Great Lakes State took its first significant step towards an internet gambling launch with the first land-based sportsbooks. Sports betting was part of the Michigan Lawful Internet Gaming Act package. The new legislation also included online casinos, online sports betting and online poker sites as well.

But that wouldn’t mean much without some concrete plans in place. And fortunately, online poker in Michigan already has them. In fact, it isn’t too much of a stretch to say that you could be able to play online poker in Michigan for real money still in 2020. The wait has been long, but it’s already within reach. Let’s take a look at what online poker in Michigan will look like in the future.

Michigan internet gambling

Gambling in Michigan dates all the way back to the 1930s with horse racing. The Michigan Lottery was established in 1972, marking another significant step for gambling in the state. Later, the first tribal casinos opened to business in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1996, Michigan authorities approved the first commercial casinos in Detroit. MGM Grand Detroit was inaugurated in July 1999, followed by MotorCity Casino Hotel and Greektown Casino Hotel.

Expanding gambling into the online market was the next logical step. Despite some early initiatives, and after a failed attempt in 2018, internet gambling was finally signed into law in 2019. The Michigan Lawful Internet Gaming Act allowed land-based operators to offer sports betting as well as online casinos,online poker, and online sportsbooks. All licenses to operate in the Great Lakes State are issued by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. All commercial and tribal casinos in Michigan are allowed to operate one skin for online poker, online casino, and online sportsbooks.

The three Detroit casinos were the first ones to offer sports betting in the state. MGM Grand Detroit launched its BetMGM sportsbook on March 11, 2020. That same day, Greektown Casino also launched its retail sportsbook under a partnership with Barstool Sports. A day later, MotorCity Casino launched its own sportsbook as well, under a partnership with FanDuel. While online gambling isn’t available in Michigan yet, it’s safe to expect a late 2020 launch. Even in a worst-case scenario, players in Michigan can still hope for an early 2021 start.

Michigan online poker sites

All Michigan gambling operators have the rights to launch one skin for online poker, online casino and online sportsbooks. These gambling sites are all regulated by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, which is the gambling authority for the state.

The good news is that it probably won’t take too long to play online poker in Michigan for real money. There is already one confirmed operator. PokerStars, the largest real money online poker operator in the world, will soon bring its online poker rooms to Michigan as well. The Stars Group has a deal with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.

BetMGM is another operator worth keeping an eye on. While it has yet to announce any plans for online poker rooms in Michigan, MGM owns an internet gambling license through MGM Grand Detroit. More importantly, it has a partnership with GVC Holdings for the US market. GVC is the owner of PartyPoker, one of the largest internet poker operators in the world. Both BetMGM and PartyPoker already offer online poker rooms in New Jersey. It only makes sense for both brands to consider the Great Lakes State as a potential online poker market in the future. Poker players in MI do have a lot to look forward to.

Michigan online poker partnerships

Every poker site in Michigan will be required to establish a partnership with a land-based operator. All brick-and-mortar tribal and commercial casinos in the state hold an internet gambling permit.

The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa gambling operator was the first one to seal a partnership in order to offer a poker site in Michigan. And the LTBBOI will bring no other than PokerStars. The largest poker room operator in the world is set to go live in Michigan at some point in 2021 or even in 2020. While there is no confirmation on a launch date yet, it is definitely drawing closer each day. PokerStars has yet to announce its brick-and-mortar casino partner, but Odawa Casino Resort is the most logical option.

MGM Grand Detroit is another likely candidate to offer real money games for poker players in Michigan. The operator already offers poker rooms in New Jersey under its BetMGM brand. It is also part of ROAR Digital along with GVC Holdings. The joint venture is the US representative for PartyPoker, the second largest poker room operator in the world. However, MGM holds a license for a single skin, so Michigan poker players will only have access to one of these two.

Michigan online poker games

When online poker goes live in the state, Michigan players will have access to some of the best real money poker games available. You will certainly be able to join a poker room and play popular game variants. Poker sites in Michigan will definitely offer Texas Hold’em variants, including No-Limit Hold’em as well as Pot-Limit Hold’em. Other popular poker games available to play online for real money in Michigan will be Omaha, Omaha Hi-Low, Pot-Limit Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud.

Michigan poker rooms will also offer cash games for its players. Cash games have been very popular lately, and these are probably one of the biggest draws for poker sites. You will also be able to enjoy poker tournaments in Michigan, which includes the popular Sit ‘N Go tournaments.

PokerStars Michigan, which will likely be the first poker site available in the state, will also offer even more options. Some of the games available at PokerStars Michigan might include 5-Card Omaha and 8-Game Mix. Some of the poker tournaments will include the popular Spin & Go, satellite tournaments, all-in shootouts, and many more.

Michigan online poker deposit bonus and promotions

All poker sites offer deposit bonuses for new players, and it won’t be any different in the Great Lakes State. When signing up for a poker account, you will be able to claim plenty of great bonus offers.

The most common welcome bonus available for new poker players is the first deposit bonus. You will get a match to the first deposit you make to the account. This match is usually equal to 100% of the initial deposit value. In other words, you will be able to play with twice that amount, which makes for some good poker gaming sessions. You will also be able to withdraw your winnings by clearing the minimum wagering requirements for these bonuses.

Poker sites also reward their players with loyalty and VIP programs, and it will definitely be the case for Michigan. VIP poker players enjoy plenty of benefits, such as promotions, higher deposit and withdrawal limits, tournaments, exclusive poker rooms, and much more.

Michigan online poker mobile apps

Michigan Pokerstars Website

Players in Michigan will also be able to enjoy online poker on the go thanks to the mobile apps. Poker sites have apps available for iOS and Android devices, allowing users to play their favorite games wherever they want to.

Poker apps are a great way to enjoy cash games. You will have the chance to play your favorite poker games on mobile, while also enjoying beautiful and immersive graphics. And given how easy it is to play on the phone, it also means that there will be plenty of poker rooms available to play real money games at any time.

Mobile poker apps are available to download on the App Store for iOS devices. Android users will need to download the apps directly from their respective poker sites, since Play Store doesn’t allow real money gambling apps.

You can also try social poker apps. However, this option does not offer real money games. Instead, you will be playing for an in-game currency, which is restricted to the app. An alternative for real money poker is sweepstakes poker. This option allows you to play for sweepstakes, an in-game currency that can be later exchanged for real cash. While it’s not the same as real money poker, it is a legal alternative.

Michigan online poker traffic

Player traffic is one of the biggest obstacles for online poker in the US. Since poker sites are usually restricted to the state’s players pool, this is considered a significant drawback. That would be Michigan’s case, at least for now. The Great Lakes State isn’t part of any multi-state agreement for online gambling. Of course, that could change in the future.

Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware are part of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, which allows the three states to share their respective player liquidity. There are no current plans for MI to join a similar agreement for now.

Given that Michigan’s population is significantly bigger compared to some other states, in-state player traffic might not be too much of an issue. Of course, while the player pool will be somewhat limited, players won’t have to wait too long to fill a poker room. Another option available in-state would be joining a poker network. This way, the sites would be able to share their player pools for games, poker tournaments, and more.

Michigan poker sites FAQ

How to play poker in Michigan?

You can play poker at land-based casinos in Michigan. For now, real money online poker isn’t available in the state yet. While online gambling has already been legalized in the state, thanks to the 2019 Michigan Lawful Internet Gaming Act, the state does not have any real money poker sites yet. You can play social poker apps and sweepstakes poker, which are both considered legal in the state.

Is online poker legal in Michigan?

Yes, real money online poker is legal to play in Michigan. It was legalized along with online casinos and online sports betting thanks to the Michigan Lawful Internet Gaming Act. However, the site does not have any poker sites yet. PokerStars already has a deal in place to join the MI poker market, but the launch date has yet to be announced.

Can I play poker online for real money?

Yes, you can play poker online for real money if you are at least 21 years old and physically located in a state that offers legal online poker. For now, Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania are the only four states that offer the option to play real money poker.

Can you play 888 poker in Michigan?

No, you can’t play 888poker in Michigan. The site is only available in Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware. There are no current plans for 888poker to join the Michigan market, although that could change in the future.

Can you play PokerStars in Michigan?

No, you can’t play PokerStars in Michigan. While PokerStars already has a deal in place, it is not available in the state yet. The launch date has yet to be announced, although it is believed that PokerStars Michigan could become available in late 2020 or early 2021.

What is the safest online poker site for US players?

The safest online poker site for US players are the ones regulated by the local gambling authority and available in your state. While US players are allowed to join offshore poker sites, this isn’t recommended. These sites operate under lax regulations from their respective gambling authorities and offer little protection to the players, leaving the door open for potential scammers. Always stick to playing at legal poker sites.

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