Return Of NFL Nearly Doubles Sports Betting At Detroit Casinos To $32.5 Million In September

Written By Matt Schoch on October 12, 2021 - Last Updated on March 18, 2024
Detroit Casinos Sports Betting September 2021

As the National Football League returned in September, so did some heavy sports betting at the Detroit casinos.

Patrons risked $32.5 million in the month, according to numbers released Tuesday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board during its regular meeting.

The month-to-month rise in Michigan sports betting handle was a whopping 99.7% from August, when bettors wagered $16.3 million on sports at Greektown Casino, MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity Casino.

The Detroit sports betting handle was the second highest of the calendar year, trailing only January ($35.7 million). The September sports betting handle slightly trailed last September’s ($33.5 million), when online sports betting was not yet available and with Michigan casinos operating at a reduced capacity because of COVID-19 restrictions.

During August, only a sprinkling of college football games kicked off. This past month featured NCAA football betting in full gear and a nearly full slate of the NFL regular season, the most popular sport to wager on in America.

The totals don’t include figures from online sports betting, which can now be done statewide. Those September totals could arrive later this week.

MGM Grand Detroit retakes sports betting handle lead

BetMGM Sportsbook at MGM Grand Detroit had a huge month in September, leading the market by taking $13.2 million in sports bets. That effort was good for a 40.5% market share.

Barstool Sportsbook at Greektown Casino had been dominating the market lately. Barstool took the most bets in July and August, earning a 46.9% market share in July and then 54.0% in August.

For September, Greektown was second with $12.0 million, a 36.8% share. FanDuel Sportsbook at MotorCity Casino was third at $7.4 million (22.7% share).

LicenseeRetail HandleRevenue (GGR)PromosState TaxLocal Tax
MGM Grand$13,168,397$1,338,540$2,723$50,700$61,966
Greektown$11,982,901$883,813$0$33,408$40,832
MotorCity$7,377,190$1,237,488$0$46,777$57,172
Total$32,528,487$3,459,841$2,723$130,885$159,970

$290k paid by Detroit casinos in September taxes from sports betting

The sports betting haul spurred $130,885 in taxes paid to the state of Michigan and $159,970 to the city of Detroit.

For the year, the three casinos have combined to pay $720,450 in taxes to Michigan and $880,549 to Detroit.

In addition, the state has garnered more than $3.9 million in tax revenue from the $1.88 billion wagered in online sports betting through August. Detroit operators have also paid $2.2 million to the city from online betting.

Photo by Eti Swinford/Dreamstime
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Matt Schoch

A Michigan native, Matt has worked at newspapers in Michigan, Missouri and the Virgin Islands. A versatile sports reporter, Matt has covered sailing on the Great Lakes, cricket in the Caribbean, high school and pro playoffs, and the Olympics in Rio. He's also the former host of the Locked On Pistons Podcast and producer of a documentary on Emoni Bates. A former blackjack dealer, Matt has studied the industry from all sides.

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