Is Betting In Michigan Legal?
Michigan is home to more than two dozen casinos. They are also one of the few states with an online lottery where residents can play for real money. The gambling opportunities aren’t short in Michigan, but legal sports betting hasn’t made its way there yet. That doesn’t mean the state isn’t trying though.
Contents
What Types of Betting Are Legal in Michigan?
Online Lottery
Michigan offers a nice selection of games on its lottery website that residents can play for and win real money. Players can wager anywhere from a few cents per game up to $20.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily Fantasy Sports sites like FanDuel and DraftKings do operate in Michigan. In 2015 the Michigan Gaming Control Board tried to say that DFS sites were illegal in Michigan, but they had no such luck.
Horse Racing
It is legal to bet on horse racing in Michigan. Michigan has online horse racing betting in the state as well. Michigan residents can even bet on greyhound racing.
What Types of Betting are Illegal in Michigan?
Sports Betting
Currently, sports betting is not legalized in Michigan, including both physical and online methods. Michigan passed a sports betting bill onto Governor Rick Snyder, but he vetoed it in December 2018. The Michigan legislature remains in session all year long, so the state has the benefit of not having to rush into anything. Michigan is expected to be one of the states to legalize sports betting this year. It may be a few months away, but Michigan residents should be optimistic that legal sports betting will be coming in the near future.
Online Casinos
Online real-money casinos are not legal in Michigan. There is a chance online casinos could become legal when online sports betting does if they get lumped into the same bill. There is a possibility Michigan residents could be playing online casino games for real money legally around the same time they are able to place legal online sports wagers.
Online Poker
Online poker is in a bit of a grey area in Michigan. Technically, it is not illegal in the state of Michigan, nor is it currently legal. There was a law that made it illegal in the past, but that law has been repealed. Anti-gambling laws make it illegal to operate an online poker site in the state. Being that online poker is not legal and regulated in Michigan, it is safest to avoid testing the grey area of playing online poker at off-shore sites.
Future of Betting in Michigan
It appears that Michigan is going to be apart of the next wave of states to legalize sports betting. Michigan has a distinct advantage that time is not against them, due to their year-round sessions. It is expected that online sports betting will also be legalized as well. Online casinos were lumped into a gambling expansion bill with sports betting last year that was vetoed. They could possibly be legalized with online sports betting. Michigan residents have a lot to be excited about in terms of future betting options coming their way.
