Michigan’s online sports betting starts today: Here’s what to know

Sports betting has been legal in Michigan since last March. But to do that, you had to go to an actual casino that offered a sportsbook.

But a new era of sports gambling dawns for casual and hard-core bettors alike as online gambling and sports betting officially kicks off Friday in the state. Nine sites will go live at noon, meaning you’ll be able to bet from the comfort of your own home – either on your desktop or, most likely, your phone.

Those nine, listed along with their casino partner, are:

• FanDuel (MotorCity Casino)
• BetMGM (MGM Grand Detroit)
• Penn Sports Interactive/Barstool Sportsbook (Greektown Casino)
• DraftKings (Bay Mills Indian Community)
• William Hill (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians)
• TwinSpires (Hannahville Indian Community)
• Golden Nugget (Keweenaw Bay Indian Community)
• Rush Street (Little River Band of Ottawa Indians)
• Wynn (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians)

Their apps will be available to download quickly and you’ll be able to legally bet on anything from this weekend’s NFL playoffs to Bulgarian soccer, rugby, cricket, darts, drone racing and so, so much more.

Veteran gamblers have already been doing this for years, whether using offshore sites, such as Bovada or BetOnline, or going old school and having a bookie. But legalized mobile betting means Michiganders won’t have to pay pesky international fees to their bank or an additional fee to the website for each deposit. Or drive to Indiana or Illinois to use legal betting mobile apps.

If you’ve decided it’s time to dip your toes into world of sports betting, here’s an idea of what you're getting into.

Is there an age limit?

Yes. You must be 21 years old to participate in sports betting in Michigan.

Do I have to live in Michigan to gamble or bet?

No. Much like a trip to Las Vegas or Atlantic City casinos, if you are within the state borders you can use the online sites/apps to place bets. So if you live in Ohio or Wisconsin, you can simply drive to Michigan and bet on your phone.

“What’s great about our app is that it travels with you from state-to-state,” said Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook at DraftKings. “There are probably people adjacent to Michigan who are going to want to participate and don’t have sports wagering, who will drive to Michigan and sign up and make their wager, go home and continue to do that when they want to make a wager.”

Pick an app that’s best for you

The sportsbooks will vary in the number of bets they offer for each sport, so if your interest lies in tennis or auto racing, or even more obscure sports such as drone racing or gaming, be sure to find the sportsbook that best fits your interests. You can download those apps before signing up and see what’s offered, plus you can get a feel for each app’s functionality and see what you like.

A uniquely qualified expert in the sports betting world is Dan Kilbridge, an East Lansing and Michigan State graduate – and former State Journal staffer – who now works as a betting writer and handicapper for Bookies.com.

“Definitely look at multiple options before you make a deposit,” Kilbridge said. “If you’re really into tennis and you see that the book you’re looking at doesn’t have a lot of tennis lines, go find something else because there will be a book with every tennis bet that you can imagine.”

If you’re looking specifically for ease-of-use when it comes to apps, Kilbridge recommends DraftKings or FanDuel.

“Those are both really easy to use and geared toward user-friendly experiences,” Kilbridge said.

While all these sportsbooks are paired with what Avello calls “brick-and-mortar” casinos, he expects 99 percent of all bets placed in Michigan to take place online once it goes live Friday.

Use a promo offer or friend referral when you sign up

I can’t stress this enough – every book will offer you a sign-up promo, and you should take advantage. Although read the fine print first – some sites won’t let new users withdraw their winnings right away.

For example, DraftKings will have two “double-your-money” promos for new users:

The Pistons to make one 3-point shot Friday vs. the Rockets

Any NFL team to score a touchdown this weekend in the conference championship games.

Those are $25 maximum bets, so when you bet and win both (which you will), you’re basically getting a free $50 when you sign up.

“All these sportsbooks have first-time sign-up bonuses and incentives, and often they’ll match your deposits. You essentially double your money right from the start,” Kilbridge said. “If you can spread (your money) around, you can basically take advantage of those offers at every sportsbook."

FanDuel’s sign-up offer is $100 in free bets ($50 on sports, $50 on casino).

PointsBet’s sign-up offer is also unique. If you place a bet of $25 or more on the Pistons to win Friday vs. Houston, you’ll receive $1 in Free Bets for every point the Pistons score. So if the Pistons score 100 points, you’ll get a $100 Free Bet.

If you use a friend referral at DraftKings, both of you will get a free bet of up to $100, depending on how much the new user’s first deposit is.

There’s a lot happening on the apps – don’t be overwhelmed

Again, there are going to be numerous sports to choose from the first time you open the app. Not just the usuals, like NFL or NBA, you’re going to see sports like table tennis, drone racing and cornhole (yes, that’s correct).

On top of that, if you click on individual games, you’re going to see multiple alternate point spreads, over-unders (total points scored) and player props. There's also live betting for each game.

A few definitions:

• Moneyline: You bet on a team or player to win, straight up. The easiest bet to do, but not where you make the most money if you're picking a heavy favorite.

• Spread: You bet on a team to win by x amount of points. For example, Kansas City is a 3-point favorite this weekend (you'll see the -3 box next to Kansas City). If you think the Chiefs will win by more than 3 points, that's the bet you make. If you think the Bills will lose by 2 points or fewer, or win outright, you can bet the Bills +3.

• Over-Under: The total amount of points scored in a game. The over-under line in Chiefs-Bills is 54 points. If you think they'll combine to score more than that, you'd bet the over. Otherwise, the under.

“There’s so much content on that site,” Avello said. “Get comfortable with it and make bets that you’re comfortable with until you get used to all the offerings that we have. I would just tell the users to take your time until you kind of know what you’re doing, or ask if you need help."