In the 21 months that online sports betting has been legal in Michigan, it’s been clear that FanDuel Sportsbook MI has had the edge on the competition.
However, during football season it appears that DraftKings Sportsbook MI is out-kicking the competition.
Tuesday’s release of September’s 2022 revenue numbers only strengthened that argument. It marked the first time since last January that DraftKings won the online sports betting handle race.
Is it a sign of what’s to come in the following months?
September Michigan sports betting revenue numbers
The Michigan Gaming Control Board released September’s online sports betting numbers on Tuesday afternoon.
DraftKings brought in the most in online handle at $108,153,540. That made up 30% of the market share for the month.
FanDuel, which holds the all-time lead in handle, came up second with 29% of the share at $106,336,489.
That put an end to an 8-month run on top of the online handle race for FanDuel.
DraftKings ($1.72 billion) still has a lot of work to do to catch up to FanDuel ($1.92 billion) all-time. But, September’s numbers indicate it should be another strong football season for DraftKings.
DraftKings blitz during football season
September’s numbers just confirmed an already established trend for DraftKings.
The online sportsbook has found itself having its most success during the NFL season.
| Month | DraftKings Handle | FanDuel Handle |
|---|---|---|
| September 2021 | $106,895,762 | $82,077,330 |
| October 2021 | $120,411,750 | $123,958,756 |
| November 2021 | $126,338,133 | $115,238,268 |
| December 2021 | $120,303,731 | $119,889,999 |
| January 2022 | $132,031,967 | $132,725,179 |
| September 2022 | $108,153,540 | $106,336,489 |
FanDuel hasn’t been lacking in its own success. However, DraftKings has finished atop the online handle race in four of the past six months during football season.
One of the two months that DraftKings finished second was by less than $700K.
Boost for DraftKings online casino
Along with the online sports betting boost during NFL season, DraftKings has seen that translate to improved online casino numbers as well.
September’s online casino revenue number was a record for DraftKings at close to $22 million.
It marks the third time during NFL season that DraftKings has hit a new online casino revenue high. Two other times it set its second-highest mark for that time.
- Sept. 2021: $15,471,967 (17th all-time, 5th at the time)
- Oct. 2021: $19,658,185 (6th all-time, 1st at the time)
- Nov. 2021: $16,833,955 (12th all-time, 2nd at the time)
- Dec. 2021: $20,104,036 (4th all-time, 1st at the time)
- Jan. 2022: $20,095,684 (5th all-time, 2nd at the time)
- Sept. 2022: $21,882,057 (1st all-time, 1st at the time)
Why DraftKings thrives during football season?
The numbers speak for themselves as to DraftKings’ football season success, but just why is it happening?
DraftKings has been able to capitalize on cross promotion across three platforms during the season.
Prior to online sports betting and online casinos establishing themselves, DraftKings was leading the Daily Fantasy game in Michigan.
In 2020, DraftKings brought in $9.7 million in DFS revenue. That was far past FanDuel’s $6.3 million for the year.
While DFS has seen a predictable decline since online sports betting came in play, DraftKings is still leading the Michigan market by nearly double what FanDuel is bringing in for 2022.
The brand name allowed for an easy transition for DraftKings users, as DFS accounts are able to link up to DraftKings online sportsbook and casino.
DraftKings also offers a selection of different wagers for the NFL that compete with any other online operator in the state. If you can imagine a wager, live or pregame, DraftKings likely has you covered.
DK has never shied on offering promos during the NFL season either. Odds boosts, parlay boosts and insurance on wagers are a regular part of each NFL Sunday.
Crossover promos have also been available through DraftKings, drawing sports bettors into the online casino application. Bonus bets for X amount spent at the casino, or bonus casino dollars for X amount of wagers are often part of the season-long plans.
