Generally slots odds are expressed in the form of a payback percentage. The closer to 100%, the better for players. Some machines even pay back at percentages greater than 100%, giving the lucky players. The Math of Casino Slot Machines For every dollar you wager in a slot machine, you will lose 100% - Payback% of that dollar. For example, you're at Bellagio playing the $1 Double Diamond slot, wagering Two Credits ($2) per spin. According to the table, for every $2 spin you will lose 5.33% of that bet. Just shy of 11¢.

  1. Casino Slot Machine Odds
  2. Best Slot Machine Odds
  3. Best Odds At Casino Slots
  4. Best Casino Slot Machine Odds
  1. Attempting to pinpoint the odds for slot machines is a daunting task. With such a variety of machines and games available, the odds can vary a great deal. Generally slots odds are expressed in the form of a payback percentage. The closer to 100%, the better for players.
  2. Slot machines with the best odds of winning. What you are looking for is a percentage figure known as the RTP, or return to player. The higher the percentage figure, the better the return. For example, slot machine odds of 97% indicate that, in theory at least, you will get back $97 for every $100 you spend.

Introduction to Michigan Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Michigan slot machine casino gambling consists of three commercial casinos in Detroit and 23 tribal casinos throughout the state. Caesars Windsor is also nearby, just across the border from Detroit in the Canadian Province of Ontario.

Casino Slot Machine Odds

Detroit’s commercial casinos have a minimum theoretical payout, while tribal casinos have none. Neither type of Michigan casino has return statistics publicly available.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Michigan*

The minimum legal gambling age in Michigan depends upon the gambling activity:

  • Land-Based Casinos: 18/21
  • Poker Rooms: 18
  • Bingo: 18
  • Lottery: 18
  • Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

The minimum legal age for gambling is 21 if the casino serves alcohol. Further, the minimum legal age for gambling at Caesars Windsor is 19 years old. Be aware that, at Caesars Windsor in Canada, all bets and winnings are in Canadian currency.

In 1996, Michigan voters approved three licensed casinos for Detroit via the Michigan Gaming Control & Revenue Act.

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*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Michigan

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in Michigan if it is 25 years old or older.

Gaming Control Board in Michigan

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) within the Michigan Department of Treasury regulates commercial casinos in Detroit. Further, the MGCB provides compliance oversight authority for tribal-state compacts with Michigan’s federally-recognized tribes.

Federally-recognized American Indian tribes are sovereign nations. As such, the State of Michigan does not have general regulatory authority over tribal casinos, although the state has oversight authority of compliance with state-tribal compact provisions.

Instead, through the federal IGRA of 1988, Michigan’s tribes have tribal-gaming compacts in place to allow Class III games-of-chance slot machines. Therefore, the National Indian Gaming Commission and each tribal government regulate Michigan’s tribal casinos.

Otherwise, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), a crown agency of Canada, and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) regulates gaming at Caesars Windsor in Canada.

Casinos in Michigan

There are three commercial casinos and 23 tribal casinos in Michigan.

The largest casino in Michigan is MGM Grand Detroit with 3,500 gaming machines.

The second-largest casino is Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort with 3,330 gaming machines.

Commercial Casinos in Michigan

Detroit’s commercial casinos, including the popular Caesars Windsor in Canada, include:

  1. Caesars Windsor Hotel & Casino across the Canadian border from Detroit in Windsor, Ontario.

Tribal Casinos in Michigan

Michigan has tribal-state compacts with 12 American Indian tribes, which have produced 23 tribal casinos. At the end of 2017, these tribal casinos had a total of 21,976 Class III, Vegas-style gaming machines.

Tribal casinos in Michigan are a thriving business, and many major expansion projects are underway throughout the state. This is especially true for casinos in northern Michigan.

Michigan 23 tribal casinos are:

  1. Bay Mills Resort & Casinos in Brimley located in the upper peninsula 53 miles north of Mackinaw City
  2. FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek located 113 miles west of Detroit
  3. Four Winds Casinos Dowagiac located 21 miles north of South Bend, Indiana near the Indiana border
  4. Four Winds Casinos Hartford located 50 miles north of South Bend, Indiana
  5. Four Winds Casinos New Buffalo located 34 miles northwest of South Bend, Indiana near the Indiana border and Lake Michigan
  6. Gun Lake Casino in Wayland located 172 miles west of Mackinaw City
  7. Island Resort Casino in Harris located in the upper peninsula 160 miles west of Mackinaw City
  8. Kewadin Casinos Christmas in Munising located in the upper peninsula 129 miles northwest of Mackinaw City on Lake Superior
  9. Kewadin Casinos Hessel located in the upper peninsula 41 miles northeast of Mackinaw City
  10. Kewadin Casinos Manistique located in the upper peninsula 89 miles west of Mackinaw City
  11. Kewadin Casinos Sault Ste. Marie located in the upper peninsula 59 miles north of Mackinaw City on the Canadian border
  12. Kewadin Casinos St. Ignace located in the upper peninsula 12 miles north of Mackinaw City
  13. Kings Club Casino in Brimley located in the upper peninsula 56 miles north of Mackinaw City
  14. Leelanau Sands Casino & Lodge in Peshawbestown located in the lower peninsula 20 miles north of Traverse City
  15. Little River Casino Resort in Manistee located in the lower peninsula 58 miles southwest of Traverse City
  16. Northern Waters Casino Resort in Watersmeet located in the upper peninsula 268 miles west of Mackinaw City near the Wisconsin border
  17. Odawa Casino Resort in Petoskey located in the lower peninsula 38 miles south-southwest of Mackinaw City
  18. Odawa Casino Mackinaw located in Mackinaw City
  19. Ojibwa Casino Marquette located in the upper peninsula 158 miles northwest of Mackinaw City on Lake Superior
  20. Ojibwa Casino Baraga located in the upper peninsula 239 miles northwest of Mackinaw City on Lake Superior
  21. Saganing Eagles Landing Casino & Hotel in Standish located in the lower peninsula 158 miles south-southeast of Mackinaw City on Lake Huron
  22. Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant located in the lower peninsula 157 miles northwest of Detroit
  23. Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel in Williamsburg located in the lower peninsula 11 miles east of Traverse City

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying Michigan slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Michigan is:

  • North and East: The Canadian Province of Ontario
  • South: Indiana Slots and Ohio Slots
  • West: Minnesota Slots and, across Lake Michigan, Illinois Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Michigan.

Our Michigan Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Michigan? If so, join our new Michigan slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Michigan. Join us!

Payout Returns in Michigan

Detroit’s commercial casinos have a minimum theoretical payout of 80%. In addition, they have a maximum theoretical payout of 100% unless otherwise approved by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

Further, Class II skill-based electronic gaming machines at non-tribal casinos also have these payout limits when played perfectly. Return statistics from Detroit’s casinos are not publicly available.

Casino Slot Machine Odds

Otherwise, there are no payout limits for Class III Vegas-style, games-of-chance slot machines at Michigan’s tribal casinos nor are return statistics made publicly available.

Finally, Canadian casinos in Ontario such as Caesars Windsor have a minimum theoretical payout of 85% and a maximum theoretical payout of 99.1% for Class III Vegas-style games-of-chance. However, Class II competition-style games-of-skill machines such as video poker have a minimum theoretical payout of 88%.

According to their OLG gaming control board from their Slots Brochure, Canadian casinos in the Province of Ontario have a single return statistic: Their average return is 91.8%.

Best Slot Machine Odds

Summary of Michigan Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Michigan slot machine casino gambling consists of three casinos in Detroit and 23 tribal casinos throughout the state. Otherwise, Caesars Windsor in Canada, across the border from Detroit, is a popular casino destination.

Casinos in Detroit have a theoretical payout between 80% and 100%. Michigan’s tribal casinos do not have any theoretical payout limits for Class III slots. No return statistics are publicly available from Michigan’s casinos.

Annual Progress in Michigan Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Best Odds At Casino Slots

Over the last year, there has been little change to the slots gaming industry in Michigan.

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Best Casino Slot Machine Odds

Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots

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Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC