How Old Do You Have to Be to Gamble in Michigan?

Arsenii Anderson
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There’s an important question that often arises among Michigan bettors – what is the gambling age in Michigan? Although the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has passed laws that clarify the position of the regulatory body for Michigan online casinos and land-based casinos, there might still be some confusion.

The reason for the confusion is that the MGCB regulates only certain facilities in the state, which are the three land-based casinos in Detroit, online casinos, poker sites, and online sportsbooks. However, they do not oversee the tribal casinos in the Wolverine State.

Moreover, the land-based casinos in the state are also hotels. That might contribute to further spreading the confusion related to the topic of the Michigan gambling age. In this article, we’ll discuss the legal age to gamble in Michigan, covering detailed information regarding every type of casino in the state.

Here’s a short overview of the legal age to participate in different types of gambling activities in Michigan:

Commercial Casinos Tribal Casinos In-Person Sports Betting Online Casinos Online Sports Betting Online Poker Lottery Bingo Fantasy Sports
21 18-21 21 21 21 21 18 18 18

Online Gambling Age in Michigan

To discuss the Michigan casino age, we need to mention the online gambling aspect and how it is regulated by state law. Firstly, all the online gambling operators that operate within the state of Michigan are obligated to partner with a land-based casino.

We’ve already mentioned that tribal casinos aren’t regulated by the MGCB. However, all online gambling activities in the state are still overseen by the board. That includes cases when the online casino operator is partnered with one of the tribal casinos. According to the Lawful Internet Gaming Act of 2019, the legal online casino age in Michigan is 21.

A person in Michigan needs to be at least 21 to engage in any online gambling activity. The law we’ve mentioned above states that a person can only be considered an authorized participant if they have a valid internet wagering account at an online gambling operator and are at least 21 years of age.

An online operator is required to provide certain mechanisms, such as ID verification, to confirm that a registered user is 21 years of age or older. The law applies to all Michigan online casinos, poker sites, and online sportsbooks. That being said, let’s move on to another topic – how the Michigan Gaming Control Board regulates land-based casinos in Detroit.

Legal Gambling Age for Detroit Casinos

The legal gambling age in Michigan is the same for land-based casinos as it is for online gambling websites. The gambling age for physical casinos is regulated by the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act of 1996. The act states that persons younger than 21 are prohibited from making a wager.

The law currently applies to the three commercial land-based Detroit casinos. Those casinos are MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino, and Hollywood Casino at Greektown. All of these casinos operate according to Michigan state law, meaning that they’re regulated by the MGCB. As a result, only persons 21 years of age or older are allowed to place wagers.

The three Detroit casinos are also hotels, so minors are allowed on the hotel premises, but persons younger than 21 aren’t allowed to enter the gaming floors.

Legal Gambling Age in Michigan Tribal Casinos

We believe the most significant source of the questions around the topic is the tribal casino regulations. Since Native American tribes are sovereign nations, the tribal casinos are overseen by the National Indian Gaming Commission as well as the government of the tribal community. Therefore, tribal casinos aren’t regulated by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

Since the MI tribal casinos have their own regulatory body, they can set different age limits than those of the MGCB-operated casinos. Various casinos owned by different tribes choose different age limits. The age limit in tribal casinos is set to 18 to 21. That means, if you were wondering what casinos are 18 and up in Michigan, here’s the answer – only a certain number of tribal casinos are, unlike, for instance, Nevada, where the legal gambling age in Vegas casinos is 21.

For example, Little River Casino Resort allows players to place wagers from the age of 18. However, a lot of other casinos such as Gun Lake Casino still prohibit persons younger than 21 to place wagers. The FireKeepers age requirement is also 21. Persons under the age of 21 aren’t allowed on the gaming floor or in restaurants that are only accessible through the gaming floor.

Find the full list of legal ages for Michigan tribal casinos below.

Casino Age Limit Operating Tribe
Bay Mills Resort & Casino 21 Bay Mills Indian Community
FireKeepers Casino Hotel 21 Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi
Four Winds Casino Dowagiac 21 Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
Four Winds Casino Hartford 21 Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
Four Winds Casino New Buffalo 21 Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
Gun Lake Casino 21 Gun Lake Tribe
Island Resort & Casino 18 Hannahville Indian Community
Kewadin Casino Christmas 18 Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Kewadin Casino Hessel 18 Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Kewadin Casino Manistique 18 Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Kewadin Casino Sault Ste. 18 Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Kewadin Casino St. Ignace 18 Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Kings Club Casino 18 Bay Mills Indian Community
Leelanau Sands Casino 18 Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
Little River Casino Resort 18 Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
Northern Waters Casino Resort 18 Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Odawa Casino Mackinaw City 21 Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
Odawa Casino Resort Petoskey 21 Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
Ojibwa Casinos Baraga 18 Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Ojibwa Casinos Marquette 18 Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Saganing Eagles Landing Casino 18 Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
Soaring Eagle Casino Resort 18 Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
Soaring Eagle-Slot Palace 18 Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
Turtle Creek Casino 18 Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians

FAQ

Can you gamble at 18 years of age in Michigan?

Yes. You can gamble at 18 years of age only in certain tribal casinos in Michigan. For example, all Kewadin and Ojibwa casino locations accept persons 18 years of age and up. The legal gambling age of 21 applies to some of the tribal casinos, commercial casinos, online casinos, poker sites, and online sportsbooks.

What is the legal age for online gambling in Michigan?

The legal age to gamble in Michigan online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks is 21. This is regulated by the lawful internet gaming act of 2019. According to the act, you need to be at least 21 years old to be allowed to place a wager online and engage in online gambling activities.

What is the legal gambling age in Detroit casinos?

Detroit-based commercial casinos have a gambling age requirement of 21 years. There are three casinos in Detroit: MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino, and Hollywood Casino at Greektown. All of those are regulated by the MGCB, meaning that you need to be at least 21 years of age to gamble there.

What casinos can you gamble in at 18 in Michigan?

At 18, you can gamble at all Kewadin and Ojibwa locations, Soaring Eagle and Saganing Eagles casinos, as well as Little River Casino Resort, Turtle Creek Casino, Northern Waters Casino Resort, Island Resort & Casino, and Leelanau Sands Casino.

What is the Gun Lake Casino age limit?

The Gun Lake Casino age limit is 21. Even though some of the tribal casinos accept players starting from the age of 18, Gun Lake Casino is not one of them.

What is the FireKeepers Casino age limit?

FireKeepers Casino age limit is 21.

What is the Odawa Casino age limit?

For both locations, the age limit is 21.

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