Responsible Gaming in Michigan
When you gamble responsibly, it means you use gambling as a source of entertainment and fun. However, it becomes a problem when players try to earn an income by making bets, get addicted to gambling, or play with more money than they can afford. For online casinos, they must acknowledge problem gambling and help MI operators to ensure patrons maintain a healthy relationship with gambling.
Each operator has its own programs that focus on preventing problems before they develop. However, it can be challenging to get people to use these resources because users often do not think they have a gambling problem. This issue is something the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is trying to rectify.
The board’s goal is to ensure that all users know about these programs and are aware that anyone can use them if necessary. Additionally, all legal gambling services are licensed by the MGCB, which requires them to provide players with tools to help with gambling issues. This article will discuss the tools and safeguards operators use to foster responsible gambling in MI.
Age Verification
Ensuring that bettors are over the legal age is a protective safeguard that gambling operators must take. Therefore, you will be asked to show your ID at a physical casino or sportsbook to verify that you are at least 21 years old. Of course, you have to do the same at online services, but the process looks different since the casino cannot see you.
Many operators will require users to verify their age before adding money to their account or playing any free games on the site. When you register at a casino, sportsbook, or racebook, you will be asked to enter personal information about yourself. You will usually have to enter your full name, address, date of birth, and last four digits of your SSN.
The company you sign up with will then use your data to verify your identity and make sure you are the legal age to gamble. However, if they are not able to do this with the information that you provided you will have to provide additional documents such as a copy of your social security card, a photo of your ID, or a signed copy of your W9.
User Limits
Gambling help in Michigan includes operators providing players with gambling limits that allow you to control deposits, session times, losses, and wagers. It is easy to set up these boundaries and will help prevent you from having issues in the future. We will discuss each type of limit and how they help create a safe experience for patrons.
Deposit Limits
This limit allows you to control how much you are spending, and at some operators, an automatic limit is set when you register for an account. With a deposit limit in place, you can add funds and play until you reach the specified amount. These limits can be set as a daily, weekly, or monthly amount.
For example, if you select a monthly limit of $500 but you spend that in the first two weeks, you cannot add more funds until the month is over. Before setting your boundaries, think about how much you can spend without putting yourself into a difficult financial situation.
Session Limits
One of the most popular limits that players can set is how much time they spend gambling. After you have reached your time limit, the operator will prevent you from using the website. However, many sites will remind you before you reach your limit to allow you to finish up what you are doing, though your session will end whether you are in the middle of a game or not. These limits are set by the hour, but some casinos allow you to put in a specific amount of time, like one hour and 15 minutes.
Loss Limits
Controlling how much you can lose is common in the iGaming world. These allow players to avoid significant losses through daily, weekly, or monthly limits. Once you reach your limit, you cannot play anymore until the end of your selected time frame.
Wager Limits
Limits on the amount you can bet are not standard in online gambling operators, but some companies use them as a further measure to help their patrons. When available, you set a daily, weekly, or monthly amount you want to spend on making wagers.
Reality Checks and Time Outs
Reality checks allow you to keep track of how much time you spend playing online. Many people do not realize how much they play, so this tool alerts you to your session lengths. On your account page, you can have the site occasionally warn you how long you have been online; you can set a reminder to go off every 30 minutes to an hour.
On the other hand, time outs are a break from using the site if you have spent extended amounts of time there or are spending too much money. During this time, you will not be able to make bets. It is like taking a vacation from gambling from anywhere from a day to six weeks. Operators will only go up to six weeks for this feature because anything longer than that would be considered a self-exclusion.
Self-Exclusion
For those looking for support for gambling addiction in MI, a great tool the MGCB offers is self-exclusion. If you need more help than the user limits that gambling platforms have, you can add your name to MI’s disassociated person’s list. Doing this will prevent you from signing up to or using any casinos, sportsbooks, or racebooks. The MGCB’s self-exclusion list has been around for over 20 years for MI residents. If you have a problem with gambling, you can add your name to the list using the self-exclusion form on the MGCB website.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) also offers a 24/7 hotline for crisis intervention, treatment referrals to support groups, and options for screening services. You can also find more information on the MDHHS website for resources they have available on problem gambling.
Location Checks
When you play at an online operator, they use location checks to ensure that you are in MI. Since online gambling is not legal throughout the country and only in some states, MI platforms have to ensure users are within the state. In MI, you do not need to be in the state to make an account, but if you want to make wagers or play a casino game, you need to be in the state.
Gaming platforms use geolocation technology to verify that you are in MI. Whether you play on a desktop or mobile device, you need to have your location services on to be able to play. The MGCB mandates that all licensed companies need to use geolocation, so any site that does not use this technology is not legal in the state.
Giving Back
Online sportsbooks have a payment and tax rate of 8.4%, while online casinos have a rate that ranges from 20% to 28%. Casinos also have to pay other fees to the local government. The taxes the government gets from these operators are broken up as follows:
- 30% is given to the city
- 5% (up to $3 million a year from each platform type) goes to the Michigan Agriculture Equine Industry Development Fund
- 65% goes to either MI’s Internet Gaming Fund or the Internet Sports Betting Fund
A hold-harmless clause helps the city recover any losses if online gaming does not generate more than $183 million during the year.
The tax breakdown for tribal casinos is different; it is as follows:
- 90% of the money generated by online sports betting is given to the Internet Sports Betting Fund, while the other 10% goes to the Michigan Strategic Fund
- 70% of the money generated from internet gaming goes to MI’s Internet Gaming Fund, 20% goes to the local jurisdiction for services, and the last 10% goes to the MI Strategic Fund
Michigan can also use the taxes from these companies for:
- Continued funding for the MGCB
- 2 million a year to The First Responder Presumed Coverage Fund
- Up to $500,00 annually to The Compulsive Gaming Prevention Fund
- Any remaining funds will go to The State School Aid Fund
Integrity
Many people think that online gambling sites are rigged; however, that is not the case. The MGCB sets strict regulations that prevent platforms from giving the house an unfair advantage. In addition, the board does frequent checks to ensure sites are fair to their players. If a company is caught rigging games, it will not only lose its license and its ability to operate legally in the state it will also damage its reputation.
The chances of rigging go down significantly if they use a reliable software provider instead of their independent software. With a reliable provider, patrons will have randomly generated, regulated, thoroughly tested, and legal games. However, the house edge is in the company’s favor because it is still a business and its goal is to make money.
Therefore, even though they have a slight advantage, they do not know or dictate what cards you will get in your hand or what will result from a spin.
What Is Problem Gambling?
Gambling can be a fun and entertaining activity, but it can become a gambling problem for some. Which is defined by gambling to the point you have financial issues, causing a strain on your relationship with family and friends, losing your job, or contributing to health problems. A gambling problem can be overwhelming for people, and they often do not know where to get help.
If you feel like this, know that there are thousands of people who have felt the same and are willing to help you get back on track. In the next section of this article, we go over how to get help with gambling addiction in MI. One of the paths that we have already discussed is joining the self-exclusion list, which will prevent you from signing up to or using any casinos, sportsbooks, or racebooks.
Help Available in Michigan
The numbers to call in MI for your or someone you know gambling problem are the MDHHS helpline at 1-800-270-7117 and the MGCB self-exclusion information line at 1-888-223-3044. Using these numbers will put you in contact with trained counselors, financial assistance, and treatment options.
You can also add your name to the dissociated person’s list, which will give you a lifetime ban from using gambling platforms in MI, which you can do by clicking here. However, after five years, you can change your status and remove your name from the list.
Not only can you find resources on the MDHHS website you can look into the following programs to see if any of them are right for you:
- Gam-Anon: is for individuals who have a loved one who has a gambling addiction
- Gamblers Anonymous: supports individuals with a gambling problem
- National Council on Problem Gambling: is a nonprofit organization that assists those with a gambling addiction
FAQs
How does an online casino check that I am eligible to play?
When you register at an online casino, you must enter personal information, including your full name, address, date of birth, and last four digits of your SSN. The company will then use your data to verify your identity and make sure you are eligible to play. However, if they are not able to do this with the information that you provided you will have to provide additional documents such as a copy of your social security card, a photo of your ID, or a signed copy of your W9.
Can I take a time out while gambling in MI?
Yes, time outs allow you to take a break from using the site where you cannot make bets. It is like taking a vacation from gambling from anywhere from a day to six weeks. Operators will only go up to six weeks for this feature because anything longer than that would be considered a self-exclusion.
Can I set a deposit limit when gambling online in MI?
Yes, you can control how much you are spending when you gamble. With a deposit limit in place, you can add funds and play until you reach the set amount. These limits can be set as a daily, weekly, or monthly amount. For example, if you select a monthly limit of $500 but you spend that in the first two weeks, you cannot add more funds until the month is over.
Can I play from somewhere outside of MI?
No, when you play at an online operator, they use location checks to ensure that you are in MI. Since online gambling is not legal throughout the country and only in some states, MI platforms have to ensure users are within the state. In MI, you do not need to be in the state to make an account, but if you want to make wagers or play a casino game, you need to be in the state.
How does the state of MI spend revenue made by gambling?
Taxes collected from online gambling are spent on the local jurisdiction’s services, the Michigan Agriculture Equine Industry Development Fund, MI’s Internet Gaming Fund, and the Internet Sports Betting Fund. Revenue from other fees goes to funding for the MGCB, The Compulsive Gaming Prevention Fund, The First Responder Presumed Coverage Fund, and The State School Aid Fund.
Can I set a limit on the number of games I play online in MI?
Yes. Players can set a limit on how much they play. Many sites will remind you before you reach your limit to allow you to finish up what you are doing, though your session will end whether you are in the middle of a game or not. These limits are set by the hour, but some casinos allow you to put in a specific amount of time, like one hour and 15 minutes.
How can I be sure the games are not rigged?
The MGCB sets strict regulations that prevent platforms from giving the house an unfair advantage. The board does frequent checks to ensure sites are fair to their players. If a company is caught rigging games, it will not only lose its license but will damage its reputation.
What is self-exclusion?
If you need more support than the user limits that gambling platforms have, you can add your name to MI’s disassociated person’s list. Doing this will prevent you from signing up to or using any casinos, sportsbooks, or racebooks.
How to self exclude in MI?
If you have a problem with gambling, you can add your name to the list using the self-exclusion form on the MGCB website or call 1-888-223-3044.