Updated January 29, 2021 – PokerStars became the first online poker room to launch in the state of Michigan on January 29. You can download the PokerStars MI software and sign up for a new account here.
Regulated real money Michigan online gambling and online sports betting will be going live today, Friday, January 22 at noon local time, according to the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB).
Michigan is just the fourth state to permit online casino games under regulation, the fifth state to offer legal regulated online poker and the 13th state where online sports betting is live.
Thus far, ten casinos and their gaming platform providers have been authorized by MGCB to start taking bets at noon this Friday.
Among the operators that have been given the green light include BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, William Hill, Rush Street, Golden Nugget, Wynn, Penn Sports Interactive, and TwinSpires.
Lac Vieux Desert tribe and its platform provider PointsBet were approved on Wednesday.
Penn Sports Interactive (partnered with Barstool Sports) and PointsBet are the only two that have been authorized for internet sports betting only while the others have been approved for both internet gaming (online casino and online poker) and sports betting.
Are Operators Offering Pre-Registration Bonus in Michigan?
Yes, BetMGM MI has $200 in pre-registration bonuses for all players who sign up ahead of the launch. The bonus is split into two parts, with $100 awarded for the casino, and $100 going towards sports betting funds.
No deposit is required to claim the offer. Players simply need to open an account with BetMGM and complete the identity verification procedure. As soon as the site is allowed to go live, these bonuses will be added to players’ accounts.
Another operator, BetRivers, is also offering Michigan players a pre-registration bonus.
All players who register and confirm their identity on BetRivers will receive $50 in bonus funds on the day of the launch.
Pre-registered players will also have the opportunity to take advantage of the first deposit bonus on BetRivers Michigan, offering a 100% match up to $250.
Which Operators are Expected to Go Live on the Opening Day?
These are the following operators that have confirmed to be launching in Michigan on January 22:
- BetMGM
- BetRivers
- Barstool Sportsbook
- Fanduel
- DraftKings
- Golden Nugget
- William Hill
- PointsBet
- TwinsSpires
- Wynn
Is Online Poker Expected to be Part of the Friday Launch?
The answer is no. However, its launch is not too far away.
It was expected that online casino games and sports betting would be the first games to become available in the Wolverine State.
MGCB Executive Director Richard Kalm in its board meeting on January 12 stated that online poker will lag behind sports and casino.
PokerStars MI and BetMGM in partnership with the partypoker US Network and are expected to be among the first group of online poker rooms to go live.
So far, neither operator has announced when they will begin offering poker.
WSOP.com in partnership with 888poker has not yet been approved Michigan. However, with an extension of their partnership recently announced and the new Poker 8 software earmarked for the US market, we expect news about WSOP MI to be forthcoming soon.
What BetMGM/Roar Digital Has to Say on Michigan?
Roar Digital, which operates the partypoker US Network comprising partypoker NJ, BetMGM and Borgata Poker is launching online casino and sports in Michigan on Friday.
In fact, BetMGM is already offering $200 in pre-registration bonuses to any player who signs up ahead of the launch. However, the bonuses can be only used at its online casino and sportsbook product.
So far, no date has been announced for the launch of online poker, but the operator is still very much interested in offering poker to Michigan.
“Poker is core to BetMGM’s business and we’re as equally committed to bringing our superior poker offering to new states, as we are with our sports betting offering,” Director of Poker for BetMGM Ray Stefanelli told pokerfuse.
“We’ll continue to work with regulators across the U.S. to widen access to online poker and look forward to a number of new states that will likely come online in 2021,” Stefanelli continued.
What PokerStars Has to Say on Michigan?
When asked about Michigan, a PokerStars representative recently told pokerfuse, “we are working closely with the regulators and preparing to launch in Michigan soon.”
The operator has also been responding to users’ queries on Michigan on social media saying that they “do not have specific dates yet” but asking them “keep an eye” on their websites for any updates.
However, before PokerStars can offer online poker or any other vertical, the operator and its partnered casino (Odawa Casino) must be approved by MGCB.
The Stars Group (TSG) US Interactive, the parent company of PokerStars and FOX Bet was notably absent from the MGCB approval list, and is not expected to launch any online gaming on Friday.
However, as stated above, the MGCB is expected to approve more operators in the coming days which is very likely to include TSG.
