Sit down and place your bets: Live dealer online casino games are live in Michigan.
You can now play real-money blackjack, baccarat and roulette from home with a live dealer running the game from a studio in Southfield.
The games launched on the morning of July 22 through Evolution, which was approved Wednesday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board after an on-site visit and other checks.
Live dealer casino games give players some of the social interaction that’s missing with other Michigan online casino games. They provide more transparency for players who might question fairness, while still giving you the convenience of playing from home.
It’s an especially attractive feature for those with coronavirus concerns who may still prefer to play from afar for now.
Live dealer games were rolling quickly Thursday
Evolution had five regular blackjack tables going July 22 one hour after launch.
The lowest table minimum for regular blackjack was $30 per hand.
But there also was infinite blackjack, where an unlimited amount of players could sit at one seat and make their own moves. Nearly 200 players were playing on July 22, and that table has a $1 minimum bet. Several side bets are available.
By 5 p.m. ET on July 22, more than 250 players were in the infinite blackjack game, and the pair of $30 tables were full (seven seats each).
At lunch time, five players were at the one baccarat table, and more than two dozen players were at the two roulette tables.
By the end of the work day, 15 players were playing baccarat and 45 players were playing live roulette.
10 Michigan operators now have live dealer online casino games
Evolution has partnered with several Michigan online casino platforms for the live dealer games, some of which were already launched on July 22.
Some of the operators are running promotions to go alongside the launches.
Brands live with live dealer online casino games as of December 2021 include:
- Barstool Casino
- BetMGM Casino: BetMGM announced Thursday plans to release craps, poker, game shows, and additional blackjack tables – in addition to its own branded live casino studio.
- BetRivers Casino: “Many online players prefer and trust live dealer options because they can watch the action as it happens,” Rush Street Interactive President Richard Schwartz said, in a statement. “A live dealer game is as close as you can get online to playing in a land-based casino and we’re thrilled to be among the first to offer Michigan residents the opportunity to sit and play on Evolution’s world-renowned virtual live dealer casino tables.”
- DraftKings Casino: DraftKings was offering seven straight days of bonuses for the first week of live dealer online casino games. For instance, if you opt-in and play $10 of any game Thursday, you get $10 free DK Dollars. More promotions follow this week.
- FanDuel Casino: FanDuel is offering bonuses from Friday through Tuesday on infinite blackjack and roulette.
- Golden Nugget Casino: The games are available on the platform’s website, on iOS and also on Android mobile applications.
- PointsBet Casino launched its online casino product on Dec. 9 at noon ET. Included among its Evolution products are Infinite Blackjack, regular blackjack, multiple varieties of roulette and baccarat.
- Stars Casino
- TwinSpires Casino
- William Hill Casino: William Hill has a promotional giveaway where you can win a share of $5,000. Play live dealer games from now through July 29, earning one ticket for a live drawing each day you play. Single prizes include $1,000, $600, $400, $200 and $150, while up to two players will get $100, up to three players will get $50, up to 40 players will get $20, and up to 150 players will get $10.
In addition, Play Gun Lake Casino has partnered with Playtech for live dealer games. Playtech has secured studio space in Southfield as well, but has not yet been approved.
PointsBet Casino and Four Winds Casino have not yet launched live dealer products. FireKeepers Casino just launched this month and has not yet launched live dealer products. Soaring Eagle Casino has not yet launched its online casino.
Live dealer casino games were a game-changer in other states
Live dealer casino games have already launched in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the two states that outpace Michigan in monthly revenue.
In New Jersey, in particular, the feature helped kick-start a market that was slow going at first after launch. New Jersey is now the national leader in online casino revenue, raising $107 million in June. It was the fifth month the Garden State has reached nine figures.
Michigan, on the other hand, has teased nine figures in each of the past few months, posting $89.2 million of revenue in June.
The state debuted its live dealer games on Thursday, exactly six months to the day since the Jan. 22 launch of online casinos and online sports betting.
