Michigan

Michigan licenses online casino, online poker and online sports betting, offered by commercial and tribal operators. The legal framework is the Lawful Internet Gaming Act (Act 152 of 2019), immediately effective on December 20, 2019, and the Lawful Sports Betting Act. Both are administered by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB). Fantasy contests have their own statute, the Fantasy Contests Consumer Protection Act.

In August 2026, operators reported a combined $337.6 million in iGaming and online sports betting gross receipts, down 2.5% from July:

• Gross receipts: $303.0 million from iGaming and $34.6 million from online sports betting.
• Adjusted gross receipts: $315.0 million in total, of which $290.8 million came from iGaming (up 17.6% year on year) and $24.2 million from online sports betting (down 29.3%).
• Handle: online sports betting handle was $330.5 million.
• Taxes: operators paid the state $62.8 million in taxes and payments for the month.

For comparison, the three Detroit casinos reported $109.72 million in August revenue.

Regulator and licensing

The MGCB licenses internet gaming and sports betting operators. Under the Lawful Internet Gaming Act, an "internet gaming supplier" is a person the Board has identified as needing a licence to provide operators with goods or services that directly affect wagering, play and results. Platform providers fall into this category. Suppliers apply through the Michigan Gaming Control Board Application Portal (MAP).

A "vendor" is a person not licensed under the Acts who supplies goods or services to an operator or supplier. The MGCB says that certain vendors must register with it before providing goods or services. It publishes a list of active licensees and vendor registrations.

When the MGCB approves a platform, it requires operators to:

• offer only Board-approved games and wager types
• use Board-approved suppliers and Board-registered vendors
• follow Board-approved internal controls

As of August 2026, the MGCB reports 15 commercial and tribal operators authorized to offer iGaming and/or online sports betting. All 15 offer iGaming and 13 offer online sports betting.

Under the Acts, every platform must clearly display the operator's own brand, or the brand of a company it controls or is controlled by. An internet gaming operator may use at most two brands, one for interactive poker and one for other casino-style games.

Key rules for affiliates

The MGCB set out its position in its Internet Gaming and Sports Betting FAQs for Businesses, dated February 18, 2021.

Licensing depends on how the affiliate is paid.

• An affiliate marketer with an agreement based on sharing customer revenue must be licensed as a supplier.
• An affiliate marketer without a revenue-share agreement must register with the Board as a vendor.

The FAQ defines an "affiliate marketer" as a person promoting, marketing and directing business to online gaming sites who is paid based on the volume of customer referrals or customer activity. Examples include registrations, depositing registrations and wagering activity.

Other advertisers who are not affiliate marketers need no registration if they provide less than $100,000 of goods or services in a calendar year to any operator or platform provider for its Michigan operation. Above $100,000, they must register as a vendor. This applies to media buying agents and advertisers with direct contracts. It does not apply to media outlets supplying services through a media buying agent.

Advertising conduct. The FAQ sets out four main points:

• Advertisements must not target self-excluded individuals. Advertising to the general public does not count as targeting.
• A marketing affiliate licensed or registered by the Board must not promote or market illegal online gaming sites to people located in Michigan.
• Board approval of advertisements is not required, and the statutory branding rules apply to platforms, not advertisements.
• Both traditional and social media channels may be used.

Recent changes

• April 10, 2025: the MGCB issued a memo supplementing its live game regulatory framework for interjurisdiction streaming.
• April 17, 2026: the MGCB approved Hillside Michigan LLC, doing business as bet365, as the internet gaming and sports betting platform provider for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. bet365 replaces PokerStars, which had exited the Michigan market.
• July 23, 2026: the MGCB issued a memo clarifying poker revenue reporting under the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement.
• September 2026: the Michigan Attorney General secured a preliminary injunction barring KalshiEX from offering sports-related event contracts to anyone in Michigan. On September 9, 2026, the MGCB announced that Robinhood Derivatives, LLC agreed to stop offering new sports-related event contracts to Michigan customers and to close out positions by October 9. The agreement was court-approved and stays in place until the Sixth Circuit appeals are resolved.
• September 18, 2026: the MGCB reported August 2026 results, with iGaming adjusted gross receipts up 17.6% year on year and online sports betting adjusted gross receipts down 29.3%.