Press Releases
PlayMichigan.com: First full month a winner for online casinos, sportsbooks
Michigan’s online sportsbooks extended their record-breaking debut into February with more than $300 million in bets in their first full month after launch, becoming the sixth — and by far the earliest — state to surpass that milestone. This total comes while online casinos hit their own impressive milestone, with Michigan becoming just the third state to reach more than $75 million in gross receipts. It adds up to an online debut unlike any other in U.S. history, according to PlayMichigan, a leading source for news and analysis of the Michigan gaming market.
“Michigan’s gaming industry traveled a winding road before January’s launch of online sportsbooks and casinos, but it is difficult to imagine how an online debut could have gone any better,” said Matt Schoch, analyst for PlayMichigan.com. “It took less than 40 days to transform Michigan into one of the largest U.S. gaming markets. Operators’ enthusiasm for the state before launch has proven prescient.”
Anchored by Super Bowl betting, February brought $301.9 million into Michigan’s online sportsbooks, according to official data released Tuesday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. That was up 162.1% from $115.2 million in bets taken during the final 10 days in January, though the per-day average dipped slightly to $10.8 million in February from $11.5 million in January.
February’s bets yielded $9.5 million in total gross sports betting receipts, down from $13.3 million in January. With the Super Bowl as a typical promotion-heavy event, taxable revenue fell to a $10.8 million loss after a combined loss of $5.2 million in January. The state still eked out a $142,240 injection into state coffers.
Michigan’s hot start has rocketed the state toward space only occupied by the largest U.S. sports betting markets. Combined with $23.7 million generated by retail casinos, Michigan sportsbooks took in $325.6 million in bets in February. That supplants Indiana, which tallied $273.9 million in online and retail bets in February, as the nation’s No. 5 market. The nation’s four largest markets, New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Illinois have yet to report February data, but all four will likely top Michigan.
“Michigan has long had the potential to be a Top 5 market, but its rapid ascent shows just how much pent-up demand was unleashed,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayMichigan.com. “As exciting as the early returns are, though, we’re still in a period where enthusiasm is in part a product of legal betting still being novel. That said, there is no reason to believe that the market’s growth will stop after enthusiasm normalizes.”
Now with 12 operators, the race for market share is as intense in Michigan as anywhere in the country. FanDuel, which partners with MotorCity Casino in Michigan and is the nation’s largest online sportsbook operator, topped the market for the second consecutive month with $87.2 million in online handle, up from in the first month with $32.6 million in January. Those bets led to a loss of $78,889 in gross sports betting receipts, down from a $622,372 win in January. BetMGM/MGM Grand Detroit’s $75.7 million handle was second, up from $22.8 million in January. But BetMGM topped gross receipts with $5.3 million, up from $5.1 million, which led to $2.4 million in taxable revenue, by far the most in the state.
DraftKings/Bay Mills Indian Community was just behind with a $72.9 million handle, up from $28.2 million in January, but lost $161,496 in gross receipts.
The market leaders were followed by:
- Barstool/Greektown Casino ($40.3 million handle, up from $27.5 million in January; $1.9 million in gross receipts, down from $3.3 million)
- PointsBet/Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians ($7 million handle, up from $1.5 million; $1.1 million in gross receipts, up from $388,381)
- Wynn/Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians ($7 million handle, up from $248,879; $1.1 million in gross receipts, up from $60,232)
- William Hill/Grand Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians ($5.6 million handle, up from $692,319; $449,316 in gross receipts, up from $125,659)
- BetRivers/Little River Band of the Ottawa Indians ($3.6 million handle, up from $1.1 million; $120,306 in gross receipts, down from $191,261)
- FOX Bet/Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians ($3.6 million handle, up from $160,052; $120,307 in gross receipts, up from $70,737)
- Twin Spires/Hannahville Indian Community ($1.9 million handle, up from $327,661; -$277,365 in gross receipts, down from $39,792)
- Golden Nugget/Keweenaw Bay Indian Community ($497,693 handle, up from $106,904; $69,788 in gross receipts, up from $21,698)
- Four Winds Sportsbook/Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians (launched Feb. 15: $12,680 handle; $3,840 in gross receipt)
“The promotional spend by most operators sapped taxable revenue in the short-term but shows just how competitive the market in Michigan is right now,” Welman said. “The extended roster of online operators is perhaps the most distinguishing aspect of the Michigan market. Having so many quality operators has clearly paved the way for this early success, and fierce competition will continue to benefit bettors as the market matures.”
Online casinos and poker
Online casinos and poker enjoyed another month of record receipts, generating $79.7 million in February, up from $29.4 million in January. February’s results will likely put Michigan as the nation’s No. 2 or 3 market, behind only New Jersey ($103.8 million in January), but on par with the far more mature market in Pennsylvania ($80.4 million in January).
Michigan’s online casinos and poker rooms combined to win $2.8 million per day over the 28 days in February, down slightly from $2.9 million per day in January. Adjusted gross receipts of $75.2 million yielded $14 million in tax revenue for the state. BetMGM/MGM Grand Detroit once again led the market with $26.9 million in gross receipts, which yielded $5.3 million in taxes.
To put Michigan’s growth into perspective, it took New Jersey until April 2020 — more than six years after launching in November 2013 — to surpass $79 million in online casino revenue in a single month.
“The interest in online casino games in Michigan has been off the charts for a new market, but expect the growth to settle a bit in the coming months,” Schoch said. “Regardless, there has never been a more impressive debut.”
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 — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.
Latest News
THE UNIT TO STEP UP EXPANSION PLANS WITH OPENING OF NEW YORK CITY OFFICE
The Unit aims to grow its presence in the Americas with move to new Manhattan location in January 2025 at Bank of Ireland’s NYC Hub
The Unit, a leader in product design and development for sports betting and iGaming, will proudly open its new office in New York City, as part of its long-term global expansion objectives, in January 2025.
The Americas division was established in 2023 with the launch of The Unit’s partnership with online operator PlayStar Casino. The New York City office, located in the heart of Manhattan, will now be the hub for The Unit’s activity in the Americas.
This new base will be located at Bank of Ireland’s NYC Hub, which was launched to help Irish business owners expand their North American operations. The offices at 2 Grand Central Tower are a great asset to Irish companies aiming to expand their operations in the United States and beyond. This is an ideal location for The Unit to grow its footprint in the region.
The project will be put into practice by The Unit’s Head of Business Development & Account Management Mark O’Hare, who has relocated to New York and will be responsible for The Unit’s commercial growth in the region.
With product and development teams in Ireland and Moldova, the addition of an American hub is further proof The Unit holds an unwavering commitment to becoming the partner of choice, on a global scale, throughout the industry.
Paddy Casey, Co-founder at The Unit, said: “These are exciting times for The Unit, and with plans in place to exponentially grow our presence in the Americas across the next few years, the start of 2025 will be the perfect time for us to move into one of the most vibrant cities in the world.
“This will be the ideal addition to our existing bases in Ireland and Moldova. The flexible workspace the hub can provide will be integral to our plans and will give us the opportunity to grow the team.
“This is an excellent opportunity for us to touch base with clients in the Americas and strategise further launches. We’re looking forward to mapping out our future in the region with our team on the ground there.
“I would like to thank Mark O’Hare for making the move to New York, and I’m sure both he and his team will have the skills and experience to execute our vision for the Americas division across the long-term.”
Tania Sheikh, Manager of NYC Hub for Bank of Ireland, said: “We are very pleased to welcome The Unit to the NYC Hub. The facilities we can provide have helped businesses scale up and connect with their partners, and we are proud to offer that opportunity to The Unit.
“We look forward to hosting The Unit and wish them well in their endeavors to grow their business here.”
The Unit has solidified its strong track record of building world-class, scalable and efficient products for the sports betting and iGaming sector in recent years.
As The Unit embarks on this exciting period of growth, the company remains committed to delivering exceptional products and services to its clients. With its experienced team, best-in-class product development capabilities, and focus on innovation, The Unit is poised to shape the future of the sports betting and iGaming industries.
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Golden Matrix Group to Participate in the 2025 ICR Conference
Golden Matrix Group Inc., a developer and licensor of online gaming platforms, systems, and gaming content, today announced that management will participate in the 2025 ICR Conference on January 13-15, 2025 at the Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, FL.
Zoran Milosevic, Chief Executive Officer of Meridianbet, will participate in a fireside chat with an equity research analyst on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 2:30 PM ET and will also be available for meetings during the conference.
Canada
Be #GiftSmart: Scratch the Idea of Gifting Scratch & Win Tickets to Kids
BCLC reminds adults to gift responsibly this holiday season
With the holiday season in full swing, BCLC is reminding British Columbians to gift responsibly and scratch lottery products from their shopping lists for kids.
“Scratch & Win tickets can make great stocking stuffers for the adults in your life, but they’re not for kids,” said Ryan McCarthy, BCLC’s Director of Player Health. “The research shows that children who have early encounters with gambling are four times more likely to develop riskier gambling behaviour as they grow up. While people are out shopping for those last-minute gifts, BCLC wants adults to be aware of the potential risks associated with gifting lottery products to children and to consider safer alternatives.”
While Scratch & Win tickets are among the most common ways kids can be introduced to gambling, children are increasingly exposed to various online forms, such as gambling streams.
“With the convergence of gaming and gambling, youth are becoming more exposed to gambling content in online spaces like streaming sites, where creators are able to live-stream their own gambling, usually while playing online slots and instant games,” said Dr. Luke Clark, Director for Gambling Research at UBC. “Our research at the UBC Centre for Gambling shows that a higher frequency of watching online gambling streams is associated with a more positive attitude towards gambling and a high intention to gamble in the future.”
In B.C., it is illegal to sell lottery products to anyone under the age of 19 and BCLC encourages adults to have conversations with the kids in their lives about the risks associated with gambling.
“Open and honest conversations are crucial when it comes to navigating childhood exposure to gambling,” said McCarthy, who shared the following tips to adults:
- Monitor for gambling-related lifestyle changes. For example, developing a positive attitude towards gambling or a preoccupation with video games or streaming sites.
- Be a positive role model. Exhibit safer gambling behaviour and talk about the risks.
- Limit exposure. Monitor kids’ online activities and discourage engagement with gambling content. Explain how gambling is based on chance.
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