Michigan Poker
Poker players in the state Michigan have a good number of options for playing live cash-games and poker tournaments both in land-based card rooms and online.
Live Poker in Michigan
The state currently has 11 live-poker venues, three of which have enough seating to comfortable run a medium sized poker tournament.
| Poker Tables | Casino Name | City | State | Owner(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort | Mount Pleasant | Michigan | Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe |
| 17 | MGM Grand Detroit | Detroit | Michigan | MGM Resorts International |
| 17 | MotorCity Casino & Hotel | Detroit | Michigan | IH Gaming (Detroit Entertainment, LLC) |
| 14 | Gun Lake Casino | Wayland | Michigan | Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi |
| 13 | FireKeepers Casino Hotel | Battle Creek | Michigan | Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi |
| 12 | Greektown Casino Hotel | Detroit | Michigan | JACK Entertainment LLC |
| 6 | Island Resort Casino | Harris | Michigan | Hannahville Indian Community (Band of Potawatomi) |
| 6 | Odawa Casino Resort | Petoskey | Michigan | Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians |
| 4 | Bay Mills Resort & Casino | Brimley | Michigan | Bay Mills Indian Community |
| 3 | Kewadin Casino - Sault Ste. Marie | Sault Ste. Marie | Michigan | Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians |
| 3 | Joey Armadillo's | Niles | Michigan |
Legal & Regulated Online Poker In Michigan
One of a handful of states with a regulated online poker market – legal online poker sites & apps are live and available, offering legal online poker to Michigan residents.
On December 20, 2019, Michigan became just the 6th state in the U.S to legalize & regulate online poker.
The bill which became law was “the Lawful Internet Gaming Act” – HB.4311 (2019) updated bill (2021) here.
Brands offering legal real-money poker games in the state currently include include Pokerstars Michigan (in partnership with Odawa Casino Resort), BetMGM and WSOP.com.
The state is currently exploring interstate gambling – which would provide additional liquidity to the poker sites in the state by sharing players with other states in the ‘pool’.
In order to play poker online in Michigan, players need to be physically present in the state so that geolocation systems can verify you are playing poker only within the licensed jurisdiction.
Who regulates poker in Michigan?
The Michigan Gaming Control Board is responsible for licensing and regulating the gambling industry in the state of Michigan, ensuring that poker sites and casinos offer fair & transparent service to customers in the state. Phone: 313-456-4100, or Email: [email protected].
A Michigan Poker license requires an application fee of $50,000 and the license fee is $100,000 following approval and $50,000 annually.
The definition of “illegal gambling” according to Michigan laws:
Illegal gambling: Any person or his or her agent or employee who, directly or indirectly, takes, receives, or accepts from any person any money or valuable thing with the agreement, understanding or allegation that any money or valuable thing will be paid or delivered to any person where the payment or delivery is alleged to be or will be contingent upon the result of any race, contest, or game or upon the happening of any event not known by the parties to be certain.
Note that in the state it is illegal to offer gambling to consumers without holding the proper license in Michigan. Section 432.218 of the bill makes it a felony to run a gambling operation where wagering is used or to be used without a license issued by the board.
Taxes for Poker players in Michigan
Poker players are required to pay state and federal taxes on their poker winnings in the state of Michigan. Federal tax is 25% and state tax is be 4.25%. Any poker winnings of $5,000+ will be subject to increased oversight. However, anything below that threshold will be your responsibility to document in your tax returns.