All You Need To Know About Online Poker In Michigan

The residents of Michigan love online poker, and one reason for this is their relaxed online gambling laws. Unlike some states, they almost have full access to sports betting and local online casinos, so they can have fun and win big. However, it wasn’t always like this; and there have been a few recent laws and acts passed to provide this freedom.

We want you to know the journey this state has gone through and what you’ll have access to in terms of online poker if you ever visit Michigan. So keep reading to learn about the different gambling laws, how online poker became involved, and the best Michigan online poker sites for you to try out.

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Michigan online gambling laws

The laws surrounding online gambling in Michigan have evolved a lot in recent years, and now anyone over the age of 21 is allowed to visit any regulated and licensed online casinos. However, it wasn’t always like this, so let’s take a look at a brief timeline of Michigan’s online gambling laws:

2016:

Online gambling was kickstarted in 2016 with an internet casino gambling bill that allowed commercial and tribal casinos to offer online betting as one of their services. However, all online betting revenues were taxed at 10%, and operators needed to pay a $5 million licensing fee.

2017:

More proposals were put in place to relax the laws around online gambling; however, some commercial casinos in the area were concerned about some details.

2018:

A new bill was implemented, which proposed a lower tax rate of 8% and placed tribal casinos under the Michigan Gaming Control Board regulation for any online gambling activity. However, commercial casinos were limited in their freedom and were only able to offer sports betting.

2019:

This was the year when the Lawful Sports Betting Act and Lawful Internet Gaming Act came into play, and they were both cleared in late October. This legalized online sports betting buy any Michigan online casinos and online poker.

2020

The Michigan Gaming Control Board started accepting license applications for online wagering in May due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 15 providers were accepted. Towards the end of the year, the Michigan Senate passed a bill that allows interstate online poker.

2021:

The 15 providers that were accepted for a provisional online wagering license went live with their platforms, and now residents of Michigan can use a fair number of legitimate online casinos in the area.

The emergence of online poker

The laws that were passed in Michigan followed that of New Jersey, and since 2019, online poker has become extremely popular in Michigan. Now, in 2022, the online poker market in Michigan is so big that it has actually become bigger than that of New Jersey. In May, Michigan even generated around $2.5 million in revenue in online poker.

There’s no denying the residents of Michigan have taken a great liking to online poker, especially with the emergence of platforms on mobile devices. They can play it at home or on the go, and there are a lot of quality casinos out there with exciting tournaments.

Best online poker site in Michigan

So, since online poker is so popular in Michigan, there must be a reason for it, right? It’s because they have a vast array of quality online casinos and tournaments to get involved in. Let’s take a look at some of the ones that come out on top:

1. PokerStars

PokerStars has become one of the best and largest online poker sites in the state of Michigan. There is an excellent selection of cash games and exciting tournaments to get involved in. No matter what time it is, you’ll be able to find a fun tournament with large prize pools. It offers an extremely generous welcome bonus of 100% up to $600 on your poker games and provides an opportunity to bring home big bucks.

A simple and user-friendly poker app is associated with the site, so you can play even when you aren’t at home. In addition, the software associated with PokerStars is some of the best available, with fast payout times and bright and vibrant graphics.

This site even organized the Michigan Championship of Online Poker, which was a huge success and increased the popularity of online poker across the state.

2. WSOP.com

WSOP may be one of the newer online poker casinos to launch in Michigan after the legalization of the game, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less than its predecessors. In fact, it has one of the most generous welcome offers with a no deposit bonus of $50 PLUS a 100% up to $1000 match bonus as well. Once you get set up, you’ll be able to join a fantastic tournament straight away, as there’s always one going on.

WSOP has been built using the popular Poker 8 software, so you know there are fast and reliable games to get involved in. In addition, the interface is bright and modern, making the thrill of playing a poker game much more exciting. You can even join events that give out WSOPC rings and gold bracelets, which makes this site stand out from the rest.

3. BetMGM

BetMGM also comes with a strong and tempting sign-up offer. When you first sign up for an account on this online poker site, you’ll be offered $75 in MTT tickets when you make your first deposit, plus a 100% bonus of up to $1000. There may not be as many frequent tournaments as the other two, but they are hinting there’s going to be a huge tournament series released soon which can bring out your competitive side.

Freerolls and loyalty bonuses are offered for frequent poker players, improving their experience. Similarly, you also have access to the sportsbook and casino when you want to take a break from poker. The software is second-to-none and is the same technology used for the popular Partypoker platform that hosts online casinos across the country.