Longtime media giant Sport Illustrated is adding to their portfolio with the SI Casino, exclusively available to Michigan bettors. While there hasn't been a lot of publicity around the early February launch, the app and web experience are polished, the variety of gaming options is solid, and the promos are on par with other popular operators. Without further ado, let's jump right in and take a closer look at what this new Michigan online casino has to offer.
The SI Casino rolls out the red carpet for new players with a multi-part welcome bonus that rivals the top offers you can find at any online casino. Whether you're looking to build your bankroll on a strict budget or trying to maximize your bonus cash with a deposit bonus, you can get a variety of extras just for signing up and making your first deposit. Here's the breakdown on the offers and how to take advantage of them...
To get you started on the right foot, you get a $50 Bonus play bonus just for signing up for an account at the SI Casino MI. You don't need an SI Casino bonus code, or even to make a deposit for that matter. As soon as your account is verified, you'll find the bonus cash in your account. (Note that if you have a sports betting account through the SI Sportsbook, you will NOT be eligible for this offer on the casino website.)
When you're ready to make your initial deposit, you can get another great welcome bonus on top of the free play described above. The Sports Illustrated Casino MI offers a first deposit match bonus, worth up to $1,000. They'll match you 100%, dollar for dollar, the first time you fund your account. The minimum deposit is just $10, and the playthrough requirement to convert your bonus money to cash is a reasonable 15X, which you can reach by playing ANY of the casino games SI offers. On top of all that, even if you make just the minimum deposit, you'll also get a $10 bonus bet for to place wagers in Sports Illustrated's sportsbook. This is typical when trying to earn most Michigan casino promotions.
As a new entrant into the world of online gambling, the SI Casino doesn't have a huge variety of offers yet. But they do award a number of bonuses to existing players through their "Spin-To-Win" prize wheel, which users can spin every 24 hours. Here's a quick run through some of the perks you can pick up with your daily spin.
You can turn your prize wheel spin into a different kind of spin – bonus spins on some of the most popular games in SI Casino's huge slots section, including Cleopatra Gold, King Kong Fury, and more.
Bonus bets are similar to bonus spins, but you can use them on table games and other types of casino games. Instead of betting with cash, you can use a bonus bet – if the bet wins, you win cash, but if the bet loses, you haven't lost any real money.
Some lucky players can also score up to $200 towards high-quality canvas or framed prints of your favorite SI covers. And hopefully, the SI Casino adds some more exclusive merch to the prize options soon.
Signing up for an account is easy, whether you're on the SI Casino app or the website. Just follow these steps and in minutes, you can be playing your first online casino games under the Sports Illustrated brand.
So what makes this new online casino a go-to destination? We've referenced some of the best features in the sections above, but here's a closer look at what we felt stood out.
The new user promotion at SI casino is top notch, as good as you'll find at an operator. You get $50 in bonus play just for signing up, along with a 100% deposit bonus and a $10 bonus bet for the Sports Illustrated Sportsbook. New users should be able to get a feel for the site and build their starting bankroll with these welcome bonus promos.
With hundreds of slots overall and over 50 exclusives you'll only find in the SI Casino, there's a slot game for just about everyone. This includes a variety of jackpot slots and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Party machine, which you won't find anywhere else.
Both the app and site are smooth, fast, and easy to use. The load times are very low, downtime is minimal, and the entire experience is streamlined and intuitive. The menus are well-organized and it's easy to build your betslip exactly the way you want.
The SI Casino compares favorably with any other online casino in Michigan. Here's a couple of the main differentiators we found...
Unfortunately, there is no rewards program at SI Casino (or the SI Sportsbook) yet, but this may change as the new platform finds its footing in the market.
You've got the flexibility to play games on a desktop browser, the SI Casino app, or a mobile browser. Either way, the experience is smooth and responsive, and you'll find all the same games, features, and bonus offers. You shouldn't have any trouble playing or accessing your account with any reasonably modern computer, phone, tablet, or internet-enabled device.
Listed as "Sports Illustrated: Casino" on both the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, it's easy to find the app, see details, read reviews, and download it to your device. (Please note that the review score for the Play Store is drawn from a very small amount of fairly dissatisfied reviewers.)
🗣 "The app is new, but has a nice offering to start. I'm excited to see how it advances as it is live for more time. Overall, it's a good effort and the free spins make it worth coming back to."
🗣 "SI is very generous with their sign-up bonus. And you can spin the prize wheel every day and you will always get some type of bonus, which is pretty awesome."
🗣 "The only 'support' they have is through email. Very frustrating and not the leas welcoming for a new client."
🗣 "I love this app! I've had no issues depositing or withdrawing. Overall, happy this casino is in Michigan."
🗣 "If there was also some sort of referral program, I'd give 5/5."
🗣 "There is no easy way to get help, close account, or report an issue."
The selection of table games and video casino games is a little lacking, though that could be expanded soon. As for the slots, though – the variety of new games, popular favorites, and exclusives is very impressive, especially for a new digital casino.
As we've said, the number of slot machines provides many different visuals, styles, betting options, and more. The exclusive games all feature fun themes and excellent graphics, with some real gems that you can only find in the Sports Illustrated Casino. Check out the return to player rate for some of the most popular games below.
The SI Casino features a half dozen different types of online roulette. These range from a classic take on the game to versions with first-person graphics and the interestingly themed Space Invaders Roulette. If you're a fan of the spinning wheel, you should be able to find something you enjoy.
You don't need to be a secret agent to enjoy this old-fashioned table game. Somewhat surprisingly, there's a pretty good variety of baccarat in the SI Casino app. You can find a handful of versions, including some with a first-person view and one with a soccer-themed take on the game.
It's 21 to win with this gambling favorite, available in a few varieties at the SI Casino. Choose from traditional, multi-hand, surrender, or first-person blackjack.
If you like video poker, you're in luck. You can play draw poker variants like Jacks or Better, Aces & Faces, or Game King Poker. There's also five play draw poker, ten play draw poker, and a couple options for Casino Hold'Em.
You can play blackjack, baccarat, roulette, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em, with live casino table minimums as low as $0.20. There's even live casino slots, which may seem a bit unconventional, but is actually pretty interesting and fun. All the live dealer games have a preview photo, so you can see the actual dealer and table before you chip in.
Here's a quick view of some of the slots at SI Casino with the best return to player rate.
A 5-reel, 4-row game that features floating butterfly and beautiful, vibrant flowers that fill the screen. Features wilds, re-spins, and special Butterfly Spins.
A classic-looking slot machine that evokes old-time casino style with 5 reels and 15 bet lines. Features wilds, multipliers, and the chance to win free spins.
Gold dragons, statues, and koi fish greet the player in this 5-reel, 3-row game. Features Fortune Coins and dragon symbols, which unlock jackpots, free spins, and more.
A 5-reel, 3-row machine that revolves around the number 8. Features wilds and gold symbols that help you unlock bonus games and 4 tiers of jackpots.
Live the high-life with this luxury-themed, 5-reel, 3-row machine. Match fancy watches, cars and more to win prizes. Features bonus symbols that help you get free spins, multipliers and more.
The software powering the games (particularly, the slots) at SI Casino is leading-edge for the industry. Among other developers, you can find NetEnt, Playtech, LNW, IGT, and H5 games in the app.
The banking options SI Casino offers are on par with the industry standards. Funding your account is quick and easy, while withdrawals do require a bit more documentation (and time) than at other sites.
The SI Casino makes it a priority to protect your privacy and your account, encrypting every transaction and piece of personal information collected, all according to federal and local regulations. Any information that the company no longer needs will be erased as soon as possible. All games are also thoroughly checked and monitored for fairness.
The online help section of the app/site has a good deal of helpful information, but the only way to reach customer support is emailing via an online form, and some patrons have complained about this. We'll be sure to let you know if SI Casino launches some form of live help (for the casino and the online sportsbook).
Regulated by the Michigan Gambling Control Board, the SI Casino is committed to promoting responsible gaming and preventing underage gambling. They go through an intensive vetting process for every new member, to make sure they're located in Michigan and 21 or older. Both the software and the staff are monitoring for signs of a gambling problem or compulsive behavior, and they offer tools to set hard limits on deposits, wagering, and even time in the app. You can also find the contact information for gambling problem resources right onsite.
After Authentic Brands Group, the parent company of Sports Illustrated, created the SI sportsbook, it felt like only a matter of time before they moved into the world of casino games. On an integrated platform with the online sportsbook, the SI Casino has had a fairly impressive, if somewhat quiet, launch. The new player promos feature some of the best bonuses you can find, including bonus cash for creating an account and a solid deposit bonus. We'd like to see other promotions that target existing players more, so we'll keep our eyes on what they offer in the future. (To this point, players do not need to enter an SI Casino bonus code to opt into promos.)
The selection of slot games is top notch, and we really did enjoy some of the exclusives that you can't find anywhere else. There's a full suite of live games, but the overall range of table games and other gaming options could be improved. While we would like to see the addition of a live help feature and a loyalty program, the convenience of using the same account for the casino and the online sportsbook is a definite plus. Like the SI Sportsbook, the performance of both the web experience and the app is fast and responsive, with little to no hiccups or interactions. The menus are well-designed, and it's easy to use the filters and search feature to find what you want. All in all, we think Michigan gaming fans should definitely give the SI Casino a try.
Author
Bryan Nicholson a world-renowned golf betting expert who gladly expands his expertise into covering other top markets like hockey and football,
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