Detroit’s casinos in July had their best revenue month since the pandemic closed them in March 2020. Michigan online casinos, meanwhile, continued to stay consistent with another strong month.
According to numbers released Monday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, Michigan’s internet gaming sector raised $92.3 million in July revenue, a 3.5% increase from June.
The month featured the online launch of Michigan live dealer casino games July 22, an important flashpoint for the internet gaming sector, which also includes online poker.
Detroit’s three casinos, meanwhile, raised $115.7 million in July revenue, again holding off their digital counterparts as they have every month since Michigan internet gaming launched this past Jan. 22.
Barely over the six-month mark since launch, the internet gaming sector also passed nine figures in state tax revenue.
BetMGM still dominant in Michigan internet gaming space
Also keeping its perfect streak alive, BetMGM led the 14 online operators, earning $33.8 million of online casino revenue in Michigan (a 36.7% market share) between BetMGM Casino and BetMGM Poker.
DraftKings Casino and FanDuel Casino continued to tussle for the next spot. DraftKings took this round with $15.2 million in July revenue, good for a 16.5% market share. FanDuel earned $14.4 million in revenue (15.6% share).
FireKeepers Casino earned more than $1.0 million of revenue after a wide launch July 12. Its July take was 11th out of 14 operators, thus already outpacing three competitors.
| Licensee | Online Brand | Revenue | Promos | Taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MGM Grand Detroit | BetMGM | $33,838,262 | $3,383,826 | $8,907,922 |
| Bay Mills | DraftKings | $15,200,471 | $1,520,047 | $3,830,519 |
| MotorCity | FanDuel | $14,373,626 | $1,437,363 | $3,783,857 |
| Little River Band of Ottawa | BetRivers | $6,778,543 | $677,854 | $1,708,193 |
| Keweenaw Bay | Golden Nugget | $5,280,782 | $528,078 | $1,330,757 |
| Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa | WynnBet | $5,005,861 | $500,586 | $1,261,477 |
| Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa | PokerStars | $3,081,759 | $308,176 | $776,603 |
| Greektown | Barstool | $2,653,560 | $265,356 | $698,550 |
| Pokagon Band of Potawatomi | Four Winds | $2,133,569 | $213,357 | $439,442 |
| Hannahville | TwinSpires | $1,252,341 | $125,234 | $256,834 |
| Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi | FireKeepers | $1,009,086 | $100,909 | $181,636 |
| Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi | Play Gun Lake | $833,431 | $83,343 | $150,018 |
| Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa | PointsBet | $573,520 | $60,070 | $102,690 |
| Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa | Caesars | $296,557 | $0 | $59,311 |
| Total | $92,311,368 | $9,204,199 | $23,487,809 |
BetRivers Casino was fourth in internet gaming revenue with $6.8 million, while Golden Nugget Casino ($5.3 million) and WynnBET Casino ($5.0 million) also joined the $5-million club for monthly revenue.
DraftKings acquired Golden Nugget this month, which could have an impact on the market down the road. We broke down that deal here.
Total taxes from Michigan online gaming top $100 million
Former Michigan state Rep. Brandt Iden had what seemed like a bold initial estimate for the mature online gambling market in Michigan, saying it could generate $100 million in state tax revenue annually.
Well, it took a little more than six months for online casinos and poker to combine for that much.
July’s internet gaming activities put $17.1 million into state tax coffers, bringing the lifetime total to $102.3 million.
The sector also earned $4.4 million in tax money for the city of Detroit and $2.0 million for tribal operators.
After a dip in June adjusted revenue, the overall internet gaming numbers returned to a strong $83.1 million in July. The June dip ($66.2 million) in part was due to BetMGM writing off $17.5 million in promotional credits.
Operators are allowed up to 10% of free play deductions for each of the first three years of online casinos. The brand had not reported any online free play since launch.
