Following the US Supreme Court’s decision back from 2018 to declare the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) from 1992 unconstitutional, many states have legalized online sports betting activities and one of those is the Wolverine State. Online sports betting activities in Michigan became legal in late 2019. In March of 2020, retail sports betting was launched while mobile and online sports betting was launched in January 2021.
The MI sports betting industry is one of the fastest-growing, most dynamic, and most exciting in the country with loads of different betting markets covered with highly competitive betting odds. The iGaming industry within the state’s borders is regulated and overseen by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. The regulatory body is responsible for providing licenses to online casinos as well as online sports betting operators.
Back in 2019, the gaming industry in the state went through a major expansion as online gaming and sports betting were approved at the three Detroit casinos and casinos that are owned and operated by Michigan federally recognized tribes. In other words, sports betting in the state is completely authorized at the three Detroit commercial and tribal casinos.
USD32 Million Generated from Online Sports Betting
The Great Lakes state started accepting licensing applications from sports betting operators back on the 15th of May 2020 and all major brands applied instant including BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetRivers. They launched online sports betting sites in January 2021 while William Hill, PointsBet, and Golden Nugget followed their steps shortly after.
According to the latest report by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, online gambling including online sports betting remains extremely popular considering the online sports betting industry generated over USD32 million in gross gaming revenues in March 2021. These numbers combined with the gross gaming revenues from the two previous months represent a staggering USD 359.5 million generated since the very first online sports betting sites were launched in the state.
The same report also shows that online gaming operators in the state brought in a staggering USD 95 million just in receipts in the second full month of launching sports betting sites. When it comes to online casinos in the state, they will probably earn over USD 760 million in gross gaming revenues in 2021. According to reputable online sources, the Lake State is the third state to surpass USD $90 million in poker and online casino revenues in a month behind Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
- March gross gaming revenues surpassed USD 95 million
- Online sports betting activities generated over USD 32 million in March
- Over USD 359 million wagered across Michigan sports betting sites
- A massive 19.1% increase in gross gaming revenues from February
Leaders in the Michigan Online Sports Betting Industry
March Madness most certainly fueled those staggering numbers. When compared to the sports betting handle for February, there was a massive 19.5% increase in March, with sports fans squeezing in some fun money into their March budgets. Also, from February, adjusted gross online gaming receipts increase by around 18%. Thanks to these growing numbers, the state of Michigan will very soon surpass that USD 1 billion milestone in lifetime bets from retail and sports betting with retail and online sportsbooks generating almost USD 384 million in March only.
When it comes to the leaders in the industry, PointsBet, DraftKings, BetMGM, and FanDuel have made the most. FanDuel leads with over USD 107 million in sports handle which represents almost 30% of all wagers placed online. Next comes BetMGM that took USD 92.6 million in bets placed online followed by DraftKings that took over USD 76 million. Then, there is PointBets with USD 14.2 million made followed by William Hill, Fox Bet, BetRivers, TwinSpires, WynnBET, Golden Nugget, and Four Winds.