Note: Hollywood Casino’s legacy platform is no longer accepting wagers and is slated to discontinue as of Dec. 14, 2023.
Hollywood Casino launched its online version in Pennsylvania in 2019, and we fully expect the operator to bring its services to the Wolverine State as well. Greektown Casino in Detroit is owned by Hollywood’s parent company Penn National Gaming, and the first Michigan online casinos went live in January 2021.
We’re hoping that this expansion, which will be Hollywood Casino’s second addition to the US online casino market, will inspire a bit of an upgrade to the site’s aethetics. It’s a good platform overall, but suffers from a bit of an outdated feel. Still, users of Hollywood Casino can expect a decent set of games including live dealer games, an easy-to-read interface, and a welcome offer that slightly edges out the competition. As a matter of fact, with regards to promotions, Hollywood Casino boasts some of the easiest-to-meet wagering requirements in the market, making it easy for new and existing users to net a bit of extra betting cash through promos.
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T&Cs Apply
Hollywood Casino Bonus Package
Though the operator isn’t yet live in Michigan, we can take a look at its presence in other states for an idea of bonus packages and features. We expect that MI users can look forward to a deposit match bonus similar to that in Pennsylvania, which is a match of $251 on two deposits.
Instead of the standard single bonus offer, Hollywood comes out swinging and has said “we’ll do you one better– twice“, and offered two deposit bonuses of $251, edging out the competition by a few bucks. A few dollars can matter, and this offer is already doing a good job boosting their customer base. That’s a total of $502 in extra betting cash that you can net if you meet the promotional requirements.
We’ll get a little bit further into wagering requirements: often, online casinos will require you to wager an amount ten, twenty, or even thirty times more than the bonus amount to earn it. For example, a similar online casino may offer a $500 deposit match with 30x wagering requirements. That would require $15,000 in action to complete the bonus.
These requirements still exist on Hollywood, but they’re fair. Hollywood Casino rolls with a 10x wagering requirement, which makes full clearance a realistic proposition. If you accept the full bonus of $502, it would require $5,020 in action within the casino to clear completely. Table games generally don’t count towards bonus clearance with Hollywood, so pick a slot and stick with it.
You’ll also get $10 in free betting cash just for signing up. These bonus packages are all rewarded in the form of betting credits, meaning that credit can be wagered to win real money, but not withdrawn as cash outright.
Hollywood Casino Bonus Details
Welcome Offer | Get up to $500 Cash Back Over the First 24h! |
States | MI, NJ, PA & WV |
T&C | New players only. Must be 21+ and present in MI, NJ, PA, WV. Full T&C Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER |
Types of Bonuses at Online Casinos
When Michigan goes live with online casinos, quite a few online betting providers are going to jump on the bandwagon. This means new users will likely have access to numerous welcome offers like the deposit match bonus we’ve seen above.
Typically, online casinos will offer deposit match bonuses and free betting cash to new users as an incentive to bet. You may also see things like free spins of the sweepstakes/jackpot wheel for a small chance to win a big payout. You may also see other kinds of bonuses like refer-a-friend bonuses or highlighted jackpots on certain wheels and slots. Most online casinos will have a newsletter that you can sign on with and get regular updates on bonuses, casino jackpots, and more– in the case of Hollywood Casino, that’s done through their brick-and-mortar casino’s myRewards program. We’ll get more into detail about this later.
Where is Hollywood Casino legal?
Hollywood Casino is currently operating legally in Pennsylvania. The information contained in this review is mostly borrowed from our experience with the platform in that state, but we don’t expect things to be very much different when the operator brings its services to the Great Lake State.
Michigan online casinos were not a reality until late 2019 when the state legislature finally came to an agreement and the bill was signed into law. Naturally, simply being signed into law is not enough– the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has to establish a framework in which said legal online casinos will function. There have been setbacks, but now the stage is mostly set for operators to enter the MI online casino market. Delays aside, we expect that early 2021 will see the release of the first online casinos in Michigan– Hollywood Casino being one of them.
Who’s eligible to play on Hollywood Casino?
Hollywood Casino, like most legal and regulated online casinos in the US, requires you to be of legal gambling age to the state you’re in. In the case of Michigan, that means you’ve got to be 21 or older.
It’s also important to remember that all online betting in the US legal on a state by state basis, meaning that apps and desktop browsers will have to verify that you’re playing only from within the state listed on the app. Desktop users will verify their location by downloading a browser plugin and enabling it whenever they wager, while mobile users can simply enable the Hollywood Casino app to access their location.
Despite having to be located in the state of Michigan to participate, you do not need to be a resident of the state to play. All registration and banking can be done from anywhere, but you must be inside state lines to place a bet. This means that if you are traveling to Michigan, you can sign up, claim your bonus, and make your first deposit from home, but will need to wait until you cross state lines until you play your first hand of blackjack.
Lastly, if you have decided to add “self-exclusion” or “cooling off” to your betting account, that account will be suspended until your chosen time period has elapsed. All betting providers in the US offer users the ability to exclude themselves from using the site as a part of their Responsible Gaming initiatives.
Registering an account on Hollywood Casino
Registration with Hollywood Casino is a straightforward process whether you’re on mobile or playing from a desktop computer.
- Visit the Hollywood Casino website for Michigan or download one of the dedicated mobile apps. (More on that below.)
- Click “Register”.
- Enter your email, preferred password, and answer your preferred security question.
- Enter your personal details including the last four of your SSN.
- Agree to the terms and conditions and confirm you are at least 21.
- Enter any promo codes you might have when making your first deposit.
It’s as simple as that. Yes, you do have to share the last four of your SSN, which might surprise some privacy-concerned bettors, but this is industry standard. The MGCB has to collect this information from online betting providers to make sure that users are indeed of legal gambling age to continue and that you are who you say you are. This is done for your protection as much as it is
Available Software Platforms
The Hollywood Casino app is available for iOS and Android. Users may also play directly from a browser window without having to download an app. Make sure that your browser or device is up to date, and don’t forget to download and enable the third-party geolocation plugin if you’re playing through a computer’s web browser.
Mobile Apps
iOS users looking to download and try the Hollywood Casino app can simply do so by searching for Hollywood Casino on the App Store. Tap “Get”, and your device will install the app. Then, just follow the steps to complete registration.
For Android users, simply search “Hollywood Casino Android” on Google. We’ve tried heading over to the Hollywood Casino website using Android devices, but the mobile version of the site does not clearly indicate where to download the app, so just search it. Once you’ve found the Download for Android link, tap it and download the APK file to your device. Go ahead and install the app, allowing “installations from unknown sources” when prompted.
This might make users a little skittish, but as we’ve stated, all of these apps are licensed and regulated by state control boards. Your Android device will warn you about any third-party apps, but all of the apps we will mention are safe to download and install.
Desktop Platform
The desktop version of Hollywood casino is, in many ways, a better way to experience the app. Slots and other games perform well on all devices, but the screen space on desktop feels a bit less cramped than it does on mobile. Additionally, live dealer games benefit greatly from the expanded screen and tend to perform better on mobile.
User Experience
Overall, the user experience is a positive one on Hollywood Casino. The interface is relatively bland and unimpressive, and the whole site feels like a hold-over from a 2000’s era online poker lounge (complete with jazzy MIDI files playing in the background of some table games).
In addition to the lack of variety, we’ve noticed quite a few glitches with both the desktop and the mobile versions of the Hollywood Casino platform online. At times, we’d be clicking into a blackjack table only to be greeted by a loading screen for an online slot. The app will occasionally hang or outright claim there is a network error, even when your connection is fine. These connectivity issues were usually self-resolving and didn’t affect any of our wagers, but it was still a bit frustrating to have to step backwards because the website or app directed you to the wrong game.
Still, Hollywood Casino has a relatively competitive selection of available games including live dealer games, a good selection of varied slots, and a well-functioning desktop version and apps that don’t challenge users too much. The games perform relatively well, and even the video poker feels authentic without skimping on a modern design. Many online casinos use outdated graphics, but Hollywood Casino, though a bit messy, does make use of modern screens with flashy animations and newer skins on old favorites.
If you’re looking for a good place to get online and play casino favorites for real money without having to think too much, Hollywood Casino is a good choice, especially for Michiganders who haven’t previously had access to online casino gaming.
Available Deposit Methods at Hollywood Casino
The following deposit methods are available at Hollywood Casino:
- VIP Preferred
- Credit or Debit
- Play+ Card
- PayNearMe
A special note: these methods are the deposit options available for the Pennsylvania-branded version of Hollywood Casino. It’s possible that these options will be different for the Michigan version of the casino. The same goes for the following withdrawal methods.
Withdrawal Methods
When withdrawing with any online casino, you’ll note a few less options than with deposits. That’s because many payment do not accept funds from wagering sites or accept withdrawals. At any rate, you’ll have the following options available:
- VIP Preferred
- Play+ Card
- Check
Hollywood Casino Games Selection
Hollywood Casino’s games selection is, perhaps, where this operator earns its highest marks. Though we’ve seen a better-organized selection of available casino games and slots on other sites, things are relatively easy to find if you simply scroll until you reach the game that fits your fancy. Users on Hollywood Casino will have access to slots, table games, and a few live dealer games. There are sort and filter features that allow you to narrow down the search.
This is an above average game selection and is certainly one of the more impressive aspects of the Hollywood online casino, but we have seen more sizeable game menus on competing casino websites. There is an adequate table game selection, but not enough to wow you. You won’t find craps or other cardless table games, except for a few scant variants of roulette. We really hope that Hollywood steps up their game both figuratively and literally by adding a bit more variety in the table game department.
Table Games
When you do take a look at the offering of table games, you’ll note a few game types for the big hitters in casino gaming, but not too much variety overall. Users looking for a wide selection of roulette types or blackjack variants should look elsewhere, as there are not many options to choose from here. When there are more than one option, for example with blackjack variants, the games don’t seem to differ that much. If you’re offering two blackjack games on your online casino, they should probably differ from each other more than having the distinction of being in “first person”.
Slots
Slots are one of the first things a player looks for when entering a casino, as the slot floor is a good indication of what awaits you inside. Similarly, taking a look at the slots on a given online casino You’ll be able to find a laundry list of well-known slots, including:
- Monopoly Mega Movers
- Wheel of Fortune
- Zeus, God of Thunder
- Dancing Drums
Live Dealer
When we look at a modern online casino, one of our favorite features is the presence of live dealer games. Live dealer games are as they sound– games where a real, live-streamed human being is calling the shots at the felt. Dealers are beamed directly to your smart device or computer, so make sure you have a solid unlimited data connection or a good WiFi connection with a lot of available bandwidth and a high cap, as these games are resource-heavy.
Loyalty Programs
Many loyalty programs will allow users to play online casino games and earn extra points for every dollar they wager, points they can redeem for cashback rewards, exclusive promotions, and in some cases, some pretty nice comps at casinos and resorts nationwide. Hollywood Casino patrons in-person can use the myChoice rewards program to earn bonuses, and also redeem points for freeplay in the online casino which is a great perk with retail casinos status in flux with the state of the world right now.
Customer Support
Hollywood Casino offers a decent selection of customer service options. It’s not the most detailed or featured support section we’ve seen, but users will have access to a FAQ section and live chat options, both of which are hallmarks of a worthwhile online casino.
The FAQ section is detailed, but could be better organized– like with finding the Android version of the Hollywood Casino app, you’re probably better off using a preferred search engine to find information about deposit methods or detailed account concerns. If you’re still stumped, live chat and email support is available 24/7.
More on Hollywood Casino
Penn National is parent company to Hollywood Casino, which boasts numerous physical locations across the US. As Michigan has Hollywood Casino locations and is located in a state that recently legalized online casino betting, we’re expecting Penn National to jump at the chance to tap into a new revenue stream in the Wolverine State.
Penn National is also a major shareholder in Barstool Sports, a well-known sports news and stats provider that is attempting to get into the sports betting market in the US. This is only speculation at the moment, but it’s possible that Penn National will bring online sports betting services to Michigan. We’ll keep you updated on any changes with Hollywood Casino, Penn National, and subsequent developments in the legal online casino market in Michigan, so check back soon.