A Michigan gaming license application for online play goes to the Michigan Gaming Control Board under one of two classes: internet gaming operator or internet gaming supplier. An operator applicant must already hold a Michigan casino licence or be a tribe running class III gaming, pays a $50,000 nonrefundable application fee and, if approved, a $100,000 initial licence fee. Suppliers pay $2,500 to apply and $5,000 on approval, and every applicant must prove suitability by clear and convincing evidence.
The rest of this entry sets out who may apply in each class, what the board charges, and how it decides.
The licence classes the board can issue
The internet gaming rules create two licence classes, operator and supplier. Which one an applicant needs depends on its role: the operator runs the gaming site and holds the player relationship, while the supplier provides goods, software or services to that operator.
Internet gaming operator
The operator class is closed to newcomers in a practical sense. Eligibility is limited to a person holding a Michigan casino licence under the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act, or to a tribe lawfully conducting class III gaming in a casino in the state. An online brand without one of those footholds cannot apply as an operator in its own right.
Internet gaming supplier
The supplier class is broader than many applicants expect. The rule requires that a supplier be licensed before providing goods, software or services to an operator, so the licence comes first and the contract second. The listed suppliers include platform and geofence providers, the businesses that run the gaming system and confirm a player is physically inside Michigan.
One entry on that list catches marketers. Affiliate marketers paid on revenue share are named as internet gaming suppliers, which means an affiliate earning a cut of customer revenue needs a supplier licence like any software vendor. A flat-fee marketing arrangement is not what the rule describes; the trigger is the revenue-sharing agreement.
Occupational licences
The fee schedule also prices an occupational licence for individuals, carrying a $250 biennial occupational fee. It sits beside the two business classes rather than replacing either.
What a Michigan gaming license application costs
The fees are fixed in R 432.624 of the Michigan Administrative Code, effective December 2020 and current as of October 2026. Each class pays an application fee when it files, an initial licence fee if approved, and a recurring fee after that.
| Licence | Application fee | Initial licence fee | Recurring fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet gaming operator | $50,000 | $100,000 | $50,000 a year |
| Internet gaming supplier | $2,500 | $5,000 | $2,500 a year |
| Occupational | see the board's schedule | see the board's schedule | $250 every two years |
The operator figures come from the operator application fee line, the operator initial licence fee and the operator annual fee line. For suppliers, the schedule sets a $2,500 supplier application fee, a $5,000 supplier licence fee and a $2,500 supplier annual fee.
Two rules change what an applicant should budget. First, no portion of the application fee is refunded, so a refused or withdrawn application still costs the full amount. Second, the board can bill an additional background investigation charge when its direct investigative costs run past the application fee, and it need not issue the licence until that charge is paid unless it decides otherwise. For an operator, the realistic floor before going live is therefore $150,000 in board fees, with the investigation bill open-ended above it.
How the board decides: application, investigation, decision
The board's standards rule describes a sequence of application, background investigation, then decision. The application is the applicant's evidence file; the investigation is the board testing it; the decision follows from both.
The suitability standard
The burden sits with the applicant. Under R 432.625b an applicant must establish suitability by clear and convincing evidence, producing the information, documentation and assurances the board needs. That is a higher bar than a simple balance of probabilities, and gaps in the file count against the applicant rather than the board.
Age, convictions and finances
Individuals connected to an application must be at least 21 years of age unless the board approves otherwise. A conviction involving gaming, theft, dishonesty or fraud bars licensure, but the board may waive an older conviction where it occurred more than 5 years before the application. A recent conviction of that kind has no waiver route.
The applicant must also show the financial ability to maintain insurance: adequate liability and casualty cover plus a surety bond. The bond and insurance are part of suitability, not paperwork left for after approval.
Tribal applicants and their suppliers
Tribes are treated differently. The subrule standards do not apply to a tribe except as the act authorises, and the rule defines an arm of the tribe as a tribally created economic entity owned in part or in whole by the tribe. A non-tribal supplier working for a tribe must disclose that relationship so the board can see who stands behind the business.
How Michigan compares with other state regimes
Michigan's structure follows the pattern of the older US licensing states: a suitability review that puts the burden on the applicant, separate tiers for operators and the vendors behind them, and fees scaled to the role. For that model as Nevada runs it, see the Journal's entry on the Nevada state gaming license, which sets out suitability, costs and tiers in that state.
Questions and answers
How much does a Michigan internet gaming operator licence cost?
Under R 432.624, an operator pays a $50,000 application fee and a $100,000 initial licence fee, then a $50,000 annual fee, as of October 2026. The board can add an investigation charge on top if its costs run past the application fee.
Is the application fee refunded if the board says no?
No. The fee rule states that no part of a remitted application fee is refunded, whatever the outcome of the investigation.
Do affiliate marketers need a Michigan licence?
Yes, if they are paid on a share of customer revenue. R 432.622 lists those affiliates as internet gaming suppliers, and a supplier must hold its licence before it provides services to an operator.
Can an applicant with a past conviction still be licensed?
A conviction involving gaming, theft, dishonesty or fraud is a bar, but the board may waive it when the conviction is more than 5 years old at the time of application.
References
- Legal Information Institute (Cornell), Mich. Admin. Code R. 432.624 - Fees, fines, taxes, payments, and assessments, 2 December 2020 (accessed 27 October 2026)
- Legal Information Institute (Cornell), Mich. Admin. Code R. 432.622 - License classifications, 2 December 2020 (accessed 27 October 2026)
- Legal Information Institute (Cornell), Mich. Admin. Code R. 432.625b - License issuance by the board-standards and criteria, 2 December 2020 (accessed 27 October 2026)
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