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Ron McMillen had quite a first-time experience playing poker online. In the 2020 World Series of Poker online event No. 9 — a $1,000 no-limit hold ’em 6-max tournament — he finished first. The World Series of Poker has moved its monthly Circuit events completely online for this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, with a WSOP bracelet to be awarded for the year-end event.
When will online poker launch in Michigan?
After years of attempts, Michigan online poker launched on Jan. 29, 2021, when PokerStars went live.
Will I be able to play poker with players in New Jersey and Pennsylvania?
Michigan’s governor recently signed the interstate online poker bill into law, but the law doesn’t automatically set up a pact between other states. That is now up to the MGCB. It is unclear whether such a deal will be made in 2021.
One option is for Michigan to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Association. The MSIGA allows New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware to share player pools.
Still, multi-state poker could be on its way to Michigan. It’s likely a must-have for the online poker market in the Great Lakes State to survive long-term. Michigan is slightly larger than New Jersey, where online poker is barely surviving despite pooling players with Nevada and Delaware.
Adding states, including Pennsylvania and Michigan, to the MSIGA over the next few years would certainly be a boost to the US online poker market.
Online poker in Michigan
Because sports betting and online casinos will likely generate more revenue than online poker, the latter verticals took priority. Even so, online poker was only a week behind the rest.
Only existing casino operators, which include three commercial casinos in Detroit and 12 tribal casino operators throughout the state, are able to procure online gambling licenses.
Each will be allowed one online casino brand and one online poker brand per license, up to two total brands apiece.
This means additional poker sites could be in the cards. WSOP and 888 Poker are two of the bigger names that have not found a path into Michigan but are available in other states with legal online poker.
Michigan online poker partnerships
PokerStars + Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
Global online poker giant The Stars Group secured a partnership with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Gaming Authority in early January 2020.
The deal gives The Stars Group first-skin market access for all gambling verticals in Michigan, including online poker.
The Stars Group owns and operates PokerStars, which operates in NJ and PA. The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians operates three Michigan tribal casinos, with the largest being the Odawa Casino, near Petoskey.
The Stars Group has secured a provisional license from the Michigan Gaming Control Board. However, it appears it’s a matter of time before PokerStars Michigan launches.
BetMGM Poker + MGM Grand Detroit
For a long time, it was understood that MGM Resorts International and partypoker’s parent company GVC Holdings would join the online poker market in Michigan. The two companies established a 50/50 joint venture sports betting and online gaming platform for the US in July 2018.
However, BetMGM Poker will be the brand available in Michigan in 2021.
The launch of partypoker Michigan through MGM Grand is no longer a go, but there are other ways for partypoker to enter the Michigan online poker market.
How Michigan online poker will work
Michigan’s online poker will launch as a fenced-in market.
Players who are 21 years or older and within state lines will be eligible to play online poker cash games and tournaments.
Online poker operators will use geolocation technology to ensure all live players are inside the state.
Players will need to sign up for an online account with an operator of their choice and go through identity and age verification before they can play.
One day, state lawmakers may enter into a multi-state compact to allow operators to share player pools with sites in other poker states.
A clause initially included in the state’s online gambling bills that would have directly facilitated an interstate compact was removed before the legislation was passed.
Lawmakers have indicated its removal was intended to address multi-state progressive slot jackpots. Therefore, multi-state poker is still a possibility down the road.
Online poker bonuses and rewards
Michigan online poker sites will offer free play to attract new customers.
Tax breaks allowing Michigan online poker operators a percentage of gross receipts for free play over the first five years of operation all but guarantees this.
Plus, giving free bonus cash as an incentive to sign up has proven to be a successful poker marketing strategy elsewhere.
PokerStars PA has shot out of the gate, posting four to six times the revenue it averages in NJ.
Players who open a PokerStars account in Pennsylvania using the PokerStars PA bonus code PLAY30 and deposit at least $20 will earn $30 in free play.
This offer includes $20 in free play and $10 in Spin and Go tickets.
New PA players also receive a ticket to the depositor freeroll event on the last Sunday of every month. It features cash prizes and a zero-entry fee.
PokerStars’ players in Pennsylvania can also use the promo code STARS600 when they sign up and make their first deposit (or three qualifying deposits within 60 days), and can also earn a 100% bonus of up to $600.
Players need to earn redemption points to unlock the bonus, but get 5 points for every $1 paid in tournament fees or rake in most games. Once earning 100 redemption points, PokerStars PA will release $10 in bonus cash into their account.
PA players can only receive the free-money bonus or the deposit bonus, not both. PokerStars Poker in Michigan should roll out with something similar.
Any tournaments that launch will attempt to stay competitive with a bonus structure to try to attract new players.
Fund your online poker account
There’s little doubt Michigan online poker operators will want to make getting your money on and off the sites as easy as possible.
That means offering a variety of deposit and withdrawal options, including third-party payment processors like PayPal, debit or credit cards, and cash.
Here’s an example of the variety of deposit methods at PokerStars PA:
- Instant E-checks: ACH payment.
- Skrill: A secure online third-party payment option.
- Mastercard or Visa: Credit or debit card transactions through approving issuing banks.
- Neteller: A secure online third-party payment option.
- Stars Transfer: Instant deposits with online banking.
- PayNearMe: Make a cash payment at retail locations, including 7-Eleven and CVS.
- PokerStars Play+ Card: This prepaid card pairs to a Stars’ account.
- Cash Deposit: Cash at the Mount Airy Casino cage.
Poker and cardrooms in Michigan
There’s a massive live poker scene in Michigan with as many as 10 live poker rooms operating across the state.
Walk into any one of the Michigan poker rooms on this list, and you’ll find securing a seat at affordable stakes is as easy as asking for one.
Bay Mills Resort & Casino
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Bay Mills Resort & Casino, in Brimley, features a four-table poker room that is open 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
There are regular cash games and low-buy-in tournaments. Players must be at least 18 years or older.
FireKeepers Casino Hotel
The newly renovated 26-table poker room at FireKeepers Casino Hotel, in Battle Creek, is the premier poker room in the state.
The room spreads Texas Hold’em, Omaha and stud cash games at a variety of low to mid-stakes. Plus, there are low to mid-stakes buy-in tournaments every day, including a regular stop on the popular Mid-States Poker Tour.
Promotions include a progressive bad beat jackpot.
Greektown Casino Hotel
Greektown Casino Hotel, in Detroit, features a 12-table poker room offering Texas Hold ’em and Omaha games. There are regular tournaments and high-hands promotions.
Gun Lake Casino
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Gun Lake Casino in Wayland, features a 14-table poker room spreading Texas Hold’em and Omaha games.
There are low-stakes tournaments happening five days a week, and promotions include a bad beat jackpot.
Kewadin Casino
Kewadin Casino, Hotel and Convention Center, in Sault Ste. Marie, features a four-table poker room open Wednesdays through Sundays.
There are low-stakes tournaments on Wednesdays and cash games every day.
MGM Grand Detroit
The poker room at MGM Grand Detroit features 17 tables with Texas Hold’em and Omaha action.
There are bounty tournaments three days a week and promotions include splash pots, bad beat jackpots and hot-seat drawings.
MotorCity Casino Hotel
The MotorCity Casino Hotel, in Detroit, features a 17-table poker club spreading Texas Hold’em and Omaha games.
There’s a regular tournament calendar, and promotions include a bad beat jackpot, high-hands and a gas card giveaway.
Ojibwa Casino Baraga
The Ojibwa Casinos, in Baraga, spreads poker on a single table running on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m.
Ojibwa Casino Marquette
The Ojibwa Casino, in Marquette, has poker on three tables on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, in Mount Pleasant, features a 14-table poker room open 24/7.
There’s a six-day per week tournament schedule and promotions include a bad beat jackpot, early bird rake, lucky ticket draws and high-hands.
The room spreads Texas Hold’em, Pineapple, Crazy Pineapple, Omaha, seven-card stud and Razz. Multi-game formats include round by rounds, dealer’s choice, HORSE, SHOE and HOP. Players may request any game type with any limit.