The best sports betting sites in Michigan 2024

BetMGM

This is another brand that has successfully fused its casino heritage with sports betting expertise to bring a compelling sportsbook to Michigan.

Adding the extensive sports wagering experience of UK-based megabrand Entain has put a sharp edge on the offering now available to sports fans in numerous states.

BetMGM, whose land-based partner is the company’s own MGM Grand Detroit, is one of the leaders in the all-time sportsbook Michigan handle stakes. It offers a bonus bet of up to $1,000 to new customers, and backs that up with a steady stream of promotional offers to its regular clientele.

It also scores highly for the breadth of sports on which you can place wagers. While you would expect every American sportsbook to carry markets on leading US leagues, enabling players to place bets on less mainstream events can score highly with fans of those sports.

BetRivers

This is another brand that has used its casino heritage as a launchpad for a serious move into the world of sports betting. It is partnered with the Little River Casino & Resort and its Michigan online sports betting operation is one of more than ten now in action across the US.

BetRivers offers a simple and user-friendly sign-up bonus of a 100% match on your first deposit up to $250, and backs this up with an equally down-to-earth rewards program.

It also scores highly for the breadth of the sports on which MI sports betting enthusiasts can enjoy a wager. The app requires some improvement, but the BetRivers commitment to its live betting and live streaming offering suggests that it will surely get it as the brand looks to increase the proportion of the Michigan sports betting handle and revenue that comes its way.

FanDuel

There are a host of reasons why FanDuel is a regular fixture at the top of the list of MI sports betting sites.

One is the high profile the company enjoyed among Michigan sports betting fans thanks to its outstanding Daily Fantasy Sports pedigree. However, that might have faded fast had the experience of betting online with FanDuel been less than stellar.

This is, though, a superb online sportsbook that offers a smooth, easy ride for anybody wishing to place a wager through its website or app.

It is partnered with the MotorCity Casino and hits top gear with its sign-up bonus of $200 in Bonus Bets when you wager $5, not to mention its comprehensive coverage of leading events in this sport-mad state.

WynnBET

Wynn was one of the last of the big American casino brands to come to the sports betting party, but it is making up for lost time by delivering a quality online experience in Michigan and elsewhere.

It partnered with the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians to be able to launch its site in the state in January 2021. The desktop version and app are both available for MI sports betting players.

You will find a bonus bet of up to $1,000 waiting for you when you sign up as well as regular other promotions and competitive odds.

The major downsides to the brand are that the range of sports offered by the sportsbook is quite limited – and there is no live-streaming capability yet. If WynnBET moves to address those issues and expands the number of states where the desktop version is available, it has the resources and brand profile to be highly competitive.

Caesars

Caesars is arguably the biggest and most glamorous name in the realm of US casinos. It has moved cleverly in recent years to develop its sportsbook offering and Michigan is one of more than a dozen states where it is now live.

The brand has been given immense help in this endeavor by the $4billion acquisition of leading UK sports betting giant William Hill – and all the expertise, not to mention growing US presence, that came with that deal.

Caesars, which is partnered with the Turtle Creek Casino, offers an outstanding Michigan online sports betting experience. It begins with a sign-up bonus of a bet credit that matches your first deposit of up to $1,500.

The sportsbook follows this with a regular supply of promotions that add value to your daily or weekly wagering, plus an excellent rewards program and ultra-competitive odds.

PointsBet

Many fans will already know of PointsBet, as the sportsbook is the official sports betting partner of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons. If you sign up with PointsBet, you can claim five bonus bets worth $100 as a welcome bonus. The sportsbook will cover our first five wagers up to this amount with bonus bets if you lose.

However, bettors have more bonuses to redeem than just the welcome offer, including PointsBet bonus bets and its rewards program. The sportsbook also offers a unique Points Betting feature where you can place over/under wagers on total points and win more or less based on how right or wrong you are.

PointsBet made its debut in Michigan in January 2021, becoming the sixth state where the sportsbook was available. Northern Waters Casino Resort is the operator’s land-based partner, allowing PointsBet to be licensed in MI by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

DraftKings

For many years, DraftKings duked it out with FanDuel in a battle for Daily Fantasy Sports market supremacy. Now the same two names are fighting for the very top spot in the Michigan sports betting league when it comes to handle and revenue.

Like its old DFS rival, DraftKings benefited from the high profile it had in the state already. However, it has evolved impressively to become adept in the delivery of a top-class sports betting experience.

Its retail partner is the Bay Mills Resort & Casino, but it is in the digital sphere that DraftKings comes into its own. Its welcome offer is a $50 bonus bet on sign-up, plus a deposit match bonus that can be worth up to $1,000.

The range of markets on offer to Michigan online sports betting customers is impressive, as is the choice of bets available to place on those events.

FOX Bet

This is one of the smaller brands to operate a sportsbook in Michigan. But it is cleverly carving out a niche for itself thanks to its leveraging of the betting coverage and leading personalities on FOX Sports.

What also helps the company, which is partnered with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Gaming Authority, is the quality of its online gaming experience.

While the welcome bonus is a little on the light side, a bonus bet worth a maximum of $500, the wide variety of sports on offer is impressive. Similarly, the competitiveness of the odds available stands up well against some of the bigger names in the market and makes this a destination worth checking out for the dedicated bettor.  

FOX Bet runs serious markets on major televized events, and ultimately it is clear that it is a challenger brand to be taken seriously in a competitive market place.  

Golden Nugget

Golden Nugget may be one of the smaller sportsbooks offering Michigan online sports betting. This is only the second state, after New Jersey, where the sportsbook is live – but the brand’s gambling roots go deep.

The original Golden Nugget casino opened in Las Vegas in 1946, and the brand has been active ever since. Its retail partner in Michigan is the Ojibwa Casino at both Baraga and Marquette.

As you might expect, the promotions appear at first sight to be heavily slanted towards online casino players. However, when it comes to the sportsbook Michigan players can enjoy a bonus bet of up to $250 on sign-up – and Golden Nugget offers a generous supply of daily odds boosts as well as a 20% boost on winning parlays.

The sportsbook’s focus is on the major US leagues, but nevertheless there is a pleasing array of other sports to keep Michigan sports betting fans entertained.

Barstool

Barstool is a sportsbook that divides opinions. It’s loud, brash and brassy in the way it markets itself, but there is no denying the seriousness of its intent to create a brand that is available in a large number of states.

There is also no denying the quality of the wagering experience here. This has been helped considerably by the input of Barstool’s partner in the sportsbook venture, Penn National Gaming, and its huge expertise in gaming.

Michigan sports betting enthusiasts can take advantage of a new player bonus of up to $1,000 on sign-up. Other promotions include a $10 bonus just for signing up, and an innovative $5 bonus for customizing your profile – a step that also means you’ll get a more personalized experience. 

Barstool’s land-based partner is the Greektown Casino. The quality of its digital offering, and the volume of its marketing, ensure that we will hear plenty more about this brand as time goes by.

Hockey

The Detroit Red Wings were one of the Original Six teams when the NHL was founded in 1926. They have won 11 Stanley Cups since then, ensuring an ongoing devotion among their fans in the Motor City and beyond.

The sport is so popular here that Detroit was christened Hockeytown in the 1990s and it still bears the name proudly. Hockey is one of the most popular sports when it comes to wagering and the continuing exploits of the Red Wings, and the level of support they enjoy, suggests there will not be a campaign to change that nickname any time soon. 

Baseball

Baseball still occupies a central place in the affections of American sports fans. The length of the regular season, the frequency of matches and the high profile MLB enjoys all contribute to a high level of interest in the game.

Michigan is home to the Detroit Tigers, winners of four World Series titles since their foundation in 1894 and a team that continues to command loyal support in their home city. Their 11 American League pennants include two since the turn of the millennium, in 2006 and 2012. 

Basketball

Basketball is another sport that benefits, from a Michigan sports betting perspective, from a long regular season and frequent top-level NBA action. Its high-scoring nature means it is popular with sports bettors, especially those who enjoy point spreads and over/unders.

The Detroit Pistons fly the NBA flag in the state, and have rewarded their fans with three NBA Finals victories. Their rivalry with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s were the stuff of legend and the Pistons continue to this day to attract serious levels of support from their home city and beyond.   

NCAA football

College football is a very big deal in Michigan. Five of the universities based in the state are represented in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of NCAA play.

The Wolverines of the University of Michigan are one of the most decorated teams in college football. They draw gigantic crowds to their games, especially against perennial rivals Ohio State and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

With no restrictions on wagering on college sports, every sportsbook in Michigan is free to take bets on the top NCAA action, and fans of the sport make the most of the opportunity.

NCAA basketball

College basketball attracts huge levels of support and interest across the state. Michigan online sports betting firms, with no restrictions on running markets on NCAA games, offer an equally wide variety of opportunities to wager on the best action.

The Michigan State Spartans are one of the best college teams in the country. The team regularly makes it to the final stages of March Madness, the colloquial name for the NCAA men’s championship. So do the Michigan Wolverines, ensuring there is always keen interest in the sport at this time of year in their home state.

Horse racing

Northville Downs, on the western outskirts of Detroit, is the only track that hosts live horse racing. It stages regular harness race meetings every week between March and June, and September and December.

Patrons can also bet on live simulcasts at the track, while most MI sports betting firms will carry odds on races across the US and the rest of the world. 

Horse racing has always been treated as a separate entity in terms of sports betting in the US but, with the increasing legalization of wagering on other sports, it is now part of a wider offering.

Football

The NFL is the biggest American sports league and it commands enormous attention – and betting revenue. The Super Bowl is believed to be the No.1 annual sporting event in the world when it comes to wagering.

In terms of local interest, many Michigan sports betting fans loyally follow the exploits of the Detroit Lions. However, the team’s four league championships all predate the Super Bowl era. The Lions are the only franchise in operation during that era never to appear in the big game, and have not won a playoff encounter since 1991. 

Soccer

Soccer is the world’s biggest game, a sport that commands the devotion of billions. That ensures that there is always a level of interest from a sports betting perspective, and every sportsbook in Michigan will offer extensive odds and markets on the best action from leagues such as the European Champions League.

Closer to home, Michigan has no teams playing in MLS. The exploits of the Michigan Wolverines, the men’s and women’s teams from the University of Michigan, are the closest fans in the state come to having a local team to root for.

Golf

Golf is a sport that has enjoyed a rise in its popularity as a medium for sports betting in recent years.

The fact that the PGA Tour runs tournaments for most of the year, and they all attract a big field and last for four days, ensures there are an enormous number of wagering opportunities for MI sports betting enthusiasts. These include match bets on the two-ball and three-ball pairings, as well as a host of other prop bets. 

Michigan’s most prestigious course is the Oakland Hills Country Club, which regularly hosts the PGA Championship and the US Open.

NASCAR

Given Detroit’s status as the traditional home of the American auto industry, it is no surprise that NASCAR generates plenty of attention in Michigan. This is the most popular US-based motorsport series, with a busy calendar of events that spans much of the year. 

The state is home to the prestigious Michigan International Speedway, and tens of thousands flock there to enjoy NASCAR action each year.

Michigan online sports betting companies are aware of the interest in the sport and offer a generous range of odds and markets on the high-speed action throughout the calendar.

Daily fantasy sports

Daily fantasy sports games can be played online in Michigan. The most obvious places to go are FanDuel and DraftKings, who traditionally dominate the DFS market. Both operators now make it easy to switch between their sports offering and the latest DFS games.