Press Releases
PlayMichigan.com: Sports betting drops for first time in online era
Michigan experienced its first month-over-month decline in sports betting since launching online sports betting earlier this year, an unsurprising result as the sports calendar slowed in April. But the seasonal slowdown didn’t stop the state from becoming the quickest in the U.S. to $1 billion in online wagering. This as online casinos continued to dwarf sports betting with another month of revenue that neared $100 million, according to PlayMichigan, which analyzes and researches the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market.
“Sports betting gets the lion’s share of attention, but it will take years for Michigan’s sportsbooks to reach the kind of revenue that online casinos are already producing,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayMichigan.com. “In addition, online casinos aren’t susceptible to the same seasonal ebbs and flows like sports betting. That said, $1 billion in less than four months of online sports betting is no minor feat either.”
Relying mostly on regular season baseball and NBA games to generate action, Michigan sportsbooks accepted $249.9 million in online handle in April, according to official data released Friday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. That total was down 30.5% from $359.5 million in March. Combined with the state’s $24.2 million retail handle, which was released last week, Michigan’s online and retail sportsbooks collected $274.2 million in bets, 91.1% of which were made online. The combined handle was down 28.5% from $383.7 million in bets in March.
The total handle will likely keep Michigan at No. 5 in the U.S., behind New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. But with $1.03 billion in online wagers made from the launch of online sports betting on Jan. 21 through April 30, Michigan is the quickest of any state to reach $1 billion in online wagers.
April’s gross operator revenue from online betting slipped to $20.4 million, down 36.8% from $32.3 million in March. Adjusted gross revenue fell to $10.9 million from the record $19.0 million generated in March. That revenue yielded just $312,824 in state taxes. Promotional credits continue to sap the state’s take, even as the promotional spend fell to $9.5 million in April.
“Sportsbooks are in a generally healthy position heading into the typical summer slowdown, especially considering Michigan’s pro teams have not done much to spur interest,” said Matt Schoch, analyst for PlayMichigan.com. “Tax revenue is still a concern, and we will likely have to wait until football season to see significant growth in sports betting again. But with the Olympics this year and the NBA Finals later than usual, sportsbooks can look forward to a busier-than-normal summer. Ideally, that will positively affect tax revenue, too.”
FanDuel/MotorCity Casino topped online operators with a $74.2 million online handle, down from $107.2 million in March. April’s action produced $7.0 million in gross sports betting receipts for FanDuel, down from $7.8 million in March, resulting in a market-best $5.2 million in taxable revenue, up from $5.0 million.
DraftKings/Bay Mills Indian Community jumped to No. 2 with $61.5 million in wagers, down from $76.5 million in March. Gross gaming revenue dropped to $3.4 million from $6 million in March, leading to $1 million in adjusted revenue, down from $3.7 million. BetMGM/MGM Grand Detroit was third in betting volume with $54.9 million, down from $92.6 million in March. Gross receipts fell to $5.5 million from $8.7 million, and taxable revenue dropped to $3.8 million from $6.4 million.
The online market leaders were followed by:
Barstool/Greektown Casino ($24.8 million handle, down from $39.6 million in March; $1.2 million adjusted gross revenue, down from $3.6 million)
PointsBet/Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians ($14.1 million handle, down from $14.2 million; -$355,073 AGR, down from $2.2 million)
William Hill/Grand Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians ($7 million handle, down from $11 million; -$8,162 AGR, down from $1 million)
FOX Bet/Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians ($5.5 million handle, down from $7 million; $163,175 AGR, down from $503,063)
BetRivers/Little River Band of the Ottawa Indians ($2.8 million handle, down from $4.8 million; -$28,856 AGR, down from $537,644)
Twin Spires/Hannahville Indian Community ($1.9 million handle, down from $3.2 million; -$12,190 AGR, down from $209,572)
Wynn/Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians ($1.9 million handle, down from $2.2 million; $89,902 AGR, down from $418,529)
Golden Nugget/Keweenaw Bay Indian Community ($874,114 handle, up from $789,792; -$43,215 AGR, down from $70,649)
Four Winds Sportsbook/Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians ($345,719 handle, down from $385,009; $107,524 AGR, up from $51,196)
“FanDuel, BetMGM and DraftKings continue to flex their marketing advantages to separate themselves from the state’s other operators,” Schoch said. “As the trio entrench themselves at the top of the market, it will be increasingly difficult for any other operator to break through.”
Online casinos and poker
Michigan’s online casinos and poker rooms continued to impress with $94.9 million in April â down slightly from $95.1 million in March. That total actually represents a small increase in revenue per day, however. Online casinos and poker rooms combined to win $3.16 million per day for the 30 days of April, up from $3.07 million per day in the 31 days of March.
The win yielded adjusted gross receipts of $88.9 million, up from $88.7 million in March, generating $17.8 million in tax revenue for the state and $5.2 million in local taxes.
April’s revenue should keep Michigan close to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the nation’s two largest iGaming markets in the U.S., though neither of those states has reported April data yet. The biggest difference is where the states are in maturity. New Jersey launched online casinos in 2013 and Pennsylvania launched in 2019.
“There is no precedent for how Michigan has responded to the launch of online casinos,” Welman said. “It’s safe to say that at some point Michigan will challenge to be the largest online casino market in the U.S. The only question is when.”
Other highlights from April:
BetMGM/MGM Grand Detroit led with $36.8 million in adjusted receipts, yielding $7.2 million in state taxes.
FanDuel/Motor City was second with $14.1 million in AGR, producing $2.8 million in state tax. That total edged DraftKings/Bay Mills’ $14 million in AGR.
For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting in Michigan, visit PlayMichigan.com/news.
About the PlayUSA.com Network:
The PlayUSA.com Network is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. With a presence in over a dozen states, PlayUSA.com and its state-focused branches (including PlayMichigan.com, PlayNJ.com, and PlayPennsylvania.com) produce daily original reporting, publish in-depth research, and offer player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online gaming options for consumers. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliations to any casino.
Press Releases
Q1 2024 Commercial Gaming Revenue Sets New Quarterly High, Marks 13th Straight Month of Industry Growth
AGA State of the States Report Shows Record $14.67 Billion in 2023 Commercial Industry Tax Contributions.
U.S. commercial gaming revenue reached a quarterly record of $17.67 billion in Q1 2024, the industryâs 13th consecutive quarter of growth, according to the American Gaming Associationâs (AGA) Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker. The quarter was punctuated by March revenue of $6.09 billion, the industryâs second-highest grossing month ever.
âWhile gaming’s momentum remains strong, 2024 will be the new baseline for future growth after several years of sports betting legalization and post-pandemic consumer shifts,â said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. âGaming’s continued growth relies on maintaining our commitment to innovation and responsibility.â
Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker Highlights
Across the country, 11 state gaming markets set new quarterly revenue records, including Pennsylvania and New York, two of the nation’s largest commercial gaming markets.
Both retail and online gaming saw annual growth in Q1 2024, though at slower rates than in previous quarters. Retail gaming accounted for 70.7 percent of total revenue while online gaming represented its largest share ever, 29.3 percent. Looking closer at each sector:
- Traditional Gaming: Traditional brick-and-mortar casino gaming generated quarterly revenue of $12.34 billion, a modest increase of 0.3 percent year-over-year that was hampered by severe January weather in regional gaming markets nationwide.
- Legal Sports Betting: Americans wagered a first-quarter record $36.86 billion on sports in Q1, generating $3.33 billion in quarterly revenue (+22.0% year-over-year). The growth compared to Q1 2023 was in part driven by new market launches in Kentucky, Maine, North Carolina and Vermont.
- iGaming: iGaming grossed an all-time high of $1.98 billion in Q1, a 26.1 percent year-over-year increase bolstered by Rhode Islandâs iGaming market launch in March.
State of the States 2024
The AGA also released its annual State of the States report today, which provides the definitive state-by-state economic and regulatory analysis of U.S. commercial gaming in 2023 for policymakers, gaming stakeholders and industry observers.
State of the States 2024 details the record $14.67 billion in direct gaming tax revenue paid to state and local governments by commercial gaming operators in 2023âup 9.7 percent from 2022. This does not include the billions more paid in income, sales or other taxes.
âAs gaming expands, more communities than ever are benefiting,â continued Miller. âWe are proud to create jobs across the country, provide world-class entertainment experiences that offer safe alternatives to the pervasive illegal gambling market, and generate tax revenue to support critical public projects.â
Background
- AGAâs Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker provides state-by-state and cumulative insight into the U.S. commercial gaming industryâs financial performance based on state revenue reports. This issue highlights Q1 2024 results.
- 37Â states and the District of Columbia featured operational commercial gaming markets in Q1 2024, including casino gaming, sports betting and iGaming.
- AGAâs State of Play Map charts gamingâs economic impact, industry regulations and casino locations on a state-by-state basis for both the commercial and tribal gaming sectors.
Latest News
Gambling.com Group Reports First Quarter 2024 Results
Gambling.com Group Limited (Nasdaq: GAMB) (âGambling.com Groupâ or the âCompanyâ), a fast-growing provider of digital marketing services for the global online gambling industry, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024. The Company also updated its 2024 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance as detailed below.
âWe are off to a great start to the year furthering our confidence in our ability to generate strong Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow growth this year and for years to come,â commented Charles Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Gambling.com Group. âThe investments we have made for years in our proprietary technology, website portfolio, and accretive acquisitions are driving consistent growth. As we continue to expand our industry leadership and influence across global online gambling markets and leverage the many growth drivers we have, we see a clear road ahead to generate substantially higher Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow.â
Elias Mark, Chief Financial Officer of Gambling.com Group added, âBy growing year on year in every one of our geographic reporting markets, we delivered record Q1 revenue with top line growth of 9% despite the comparable period benefiting from significantly more new state launch activity.â
First Quarter 2024 and Recent Business Highlights
Delivered more than 107,000 new depositing customers (âNDCsâ)
Strong initial contribution from North Carolina following launch on March 11th
Secured new $50 million credit facility with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association
Repurchased 329,490 shares for an average price of $9.10
Completed highly accretive acquisition of Freebets.com and related assets on April 1st
Board of Directors approved an additional $10 million for the Company’s ordinary shares repurchase program in May
First Quarter 2024 Results Compared to First Quarter 2023
Revenues rose 9% year-over-year to a first quarter record $29.2 million, reflecting growth across all geographic reporting markets. The Company delivered more than 107,000 NDCs to customers, an increase of 22%.
Gross profit increased 5% to $27.0 million, including a $1.2 million increase in cost of sales related to the Gannett and Independent partnerships.
Total operating expenses increased 9% to $19.1 million, reflecting increases in sales and marketing, technology and general and administrative expenses.
Net income attributable to shareholders and net income per share rose 11% to $7.3 million and $0.19, respectively. Adjusted net income of $7.6 million and adjusted net income per share of $0.20 were flat, reflecting fair value movement related to acquisitions in the comparative period.
Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2024 was $10.2 million, reflecting an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 35% as compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $10.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA margin of 40%, in the year-ago period. The Q1 2024 Adjusted EBITDA margin reflects higher costs of sales related to media partnerships.
Operating cash flow increased 24% to $8.8 million. Free Cash Flow increased 32% to $8.2 million reflecting positive working capital movements within operating cash flow and lower capital expenditures. The Company converted 28% of revenues and 81% of Adjusted EBITDA to Free Cash Flow in the first quarter of 2024.
2024 Outlook
Reflecting changes made in early May to how Google treats commercial content on high authority websites that, at present, diminishes the effectiveness of the Companyâs media partnerships, Gambling.com Group today updated its 2024 full-year revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance. The Company now expects full year revenue of $118 to $122 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $40 million to $44 million. This compares to the initial guidance provided on March 21, 2024, for revenue of $129 million to $133 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $44 million to $48 million. The midpoint of the updated Adjusted EBITDA outlook of $42 million reflects expected year-over-year growth of 14%.
Charles Gillespie commented, âEven with these shifts in the digital landscape, the strength and resilience of our business will enable us to deliver strong year over year Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow growth. With less competition in the search engine results pages, our owned and operated assets are better positioned for the long term than ever before.â
The Companyâs guidance assumes:
Following the launch of sports betting in North Carolina on March 11th, no additional North American markets come online over the balance of 2024
Apart from the acquisition of Freebets.com and related assets, no impact from any additional acquisitions in 2024
Full year cost of sales of approximately $4.8 million, of which $2.2 million was incurred in Q1
An average EUR/USD exchange rate of 1.09 throughout 2024
To access, please dial in approximately 10 minutes before the start of the call. An archived webcast of the conference call will also be available in the News & Events section of the Companyâs website at gambling.com/corporate/investors/news-events. Information contained on the Companyâs website is not incorporated into this press release.
Canada
Playân GO announces partnership with Canadian operator Loto-QuĂ©bec
Playân GO, the worldâs leading casino entertainment provider, has today announced a partnership with Canadian operator Loto-QuĂ©bec, launching the Swedish gaming giantâs games into another Canadian province.
Already active in another Canadian province , this partnership sees Playân GOâs content available in the province of QuĂ©bec exclusively with Loto-QuĂ©bec, a state-owned corporation, where online players now have access to titles such as Tome of Madness.Â
Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer, Playân GO said: âAt Playân GO, we have always been clear in our vision to be active in every regulated market in the world, and this partnership with Loto-QuĂ©bec is the next step on that journey.
âOur past success in Canada gives us confidence that players in QuĂ©bec will enjoy the best Playân GO content, and we look forward to many years of success with Loto-QuĂ©bec in the province.â
StĂ©phane Martel, Head of Product and Innovation at Loto-QuĂ©bec added: âAs the sole iGaming operator in QuĂ©bec, we pride ourselves on offering titles that truly add value to our platform, lotoquebec.com. We are happy to bring Playân GO games to our players.â
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