The last year has been very noteworthy for Michigan when it comes to gambling news.
Few states provide all the gambling options, both in retail and online, that Michigan does. The last year saw new additions in some cases, while others came to an end in 2024.
Through it all, revenue still grew rapidly for online platforms, proving there will still be big things ahead in 2025. Here’s a look at the biggest gambling news in the state from the last 12 months.
Online gaming revenue record for third consecutive year
We don’t have final figures yet for December, but based on data released from the state through November, Michigan will once again break records for revenue from online casinos in 2024.
Following a new monthly record of revenue of just under $226 million in November, the state sits at just under $2.20 billion for 2024 through 11 months. That’s already well past the 2023 total of $1.92 billion through all 12 months.
In the state, iGaming is just not slowing down. The state has had over $200 million in monthly revenue for three consecutive months. In 2023, December’s $181.4 million in revenue was a new record at the time. Each month in 2024 has been greater than that amount. There’s just no slowing the online casino train down.
Sports betting soars as Lions’ success fuels interest
The NFL is always the most popular subject of sports betting, but in Michigan the last 11+ months, the interest in pro football has hit record levels. That’s because of the unprecedented success of the Detroit Lions. In November, the third month of the 2024 NFL season, Michigan sportsbooks set a record with $650.2 million in online sports betting handle.
Michigan once again set a new mark for annual sports betting handle, with the figure at $4.72 billion through November, which eclipses the 2023 mark of $4.6 billion already.
While the state doesn’t issue total handle by sport, it’s likely that the heightened interest in the Lions, who have qualified for the NFL Playoffs for a second consecutive season, has helped numbers remain strong. In 2023 in November, the state reported $568.8 million in total handle, which means sportsbooks took in roughly $92 million more in bets this November than last year.
MGCB takes a hard stance against offshore gambling
The Michigan Gaming Control Board was aggressive in efforts to eliminate illegal gaming in the state in 2024. In May, the state sent a cease-and-desist letter to Bovada, an offshore online sportsbook and casino app that has infiltrated several markets in the United States.
Before enforcement action could take place, Bovada complied with the MGCB’s request, and shuttered its business in Michigan in late May. Other states followed Michigan’s lead, cutting into Bovada’s US impact significantly.
The regulatory agency sent cease and desist letters to other illegal operators this year, as well. A few online raffle and lottery apps were also targeted by the MGCB in August.
Sportsbooks end operations, new operators begin
Arguably, the biggest consumer news in Michigan online gaming in 2024 was the launch of Fanatics as an online casino and sportsbook. That app became available in the state in February, taking the place of PointsBet, which solid off its US assets. The move has been a good one for the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. Its iGaming revenue has more than doubled in 2024.
In January, Golden Nugget Sportsbook ended operations in Michigan. Instead, the DraftKings-owned label opted to focus on its online casino while directing users to DraftKings for its sports betting options.
WynnBet elected to sell off its Michigan license rights to Caesars in February, giving the operator a second license to work with in the state. That required Caesars to establish a new brand of an online casino, which it did in October, launching Horseshoe Online Casino.
In early 2025, one additional online gaming app is expected to stop operations in Michigan. Sports Illustrated will cease its sportsbook and casino in Q1, according to Evoke. SI took over for TwinSpires back in 2022 after TwinSpires elected to leave any non-horse racing gambling markets. Sports Illustrated wasn’t able to gain much traction during its short stay with Michigan.
BetMGM and WSOP add multistate poker options
2024 was the year that multi-state online poker expanded for Michigan customers. After PokerStars first got the ball rolling to open 2023, both World Series of Poker (WSOP) and BetMGM Poker were able to add to it in 2024.
WSOP allows multi-state pool of poker winnings for players in Michigan, New Jersey, and Nevada. For BetMGM, the multi-state poker options are for Michigan and New Jersey consumers.
Michigan remains one of a handful of states to offer online casino games, online poker, online lottery, and online sports betting.
New Michigan tribal casino coming to Benzonia
At least one new venue will be available for folks in Michigan who like to visit a gaming facility. The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians announced earlier this month that it will open a new casino in Benzonia in 2025.
The new casino, which will be an intimate space with slot machines and gaming tables, will be the third gaming facility for the tribe. The others are Leelanau Sands Casino in Peshawbestown, and Turtle Creek Casino in Williamsburg. The new casino is slated to open in the first quarter of 2025.
Northville Downs holds final horse race, future uncertain
The end may not be here for Northville Downs, but the future is unclear for the historic racetrack located northwest of Detroit. In February, the track hosted its final race after 80 years, and now faces the possibility of being shuttered forever.
Originally, Northville Downs had plans for a temporary leave as it relocated to a 128-acre property in Plymouth Township. However, the city’s Planning Commission rescinded the plans after it deemed that Northville Downs failed to meet four of six contingencies for establishing the location. That included yearly $500,000 payments to the township for 10 years.
No announcement of a new location for Michigan’s only remaining pari-mutuel horse race track leaves the future of the sport in doubt in this state.
