Michigan sports betting got off to a slow start in 2020 but looks poised to become one of the nation’s biggest markets in 2021 and beyond. The long-awaited arrival of online sports betting in the Great Lakes State ushered in a whole new era.
We’ll keep you up to date with the latest economic data and analysis from the business of sports betting. Find Michigan sports betting revenue information in the table below, then read on to learn what to expect in 2021.
Michigan Revenue: Month-by-Month
Sports Betting Dime tracks the development of legal sports betting in America by tallying monthly revenue reports for each state.
Here’s what each number represents:
- Handle refers to the total amount wagered on sports.
- Revenue reflects the gross gaming revenue kept by sportsbooks after paying out winning bets.
- Hold percentage shows how much revenue sportsbooks kept as a function of the betting handle.
- State tax revenue displays taxes collected by the state and municipal jurisdictions.
The table below shows Michigan’s sports betting handle, gross gambling revenue, and hold percentage, as well as state tax revenue collected each month since its launch in March 2020. Note that Michigan casinos were closed for four months of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Month/Year | Total Handle | Revenue | Hold Percentage | State Tax Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | $593,956 | $105,548 | 17.77% | $8,866 |
| April 2020 | $0 | $0 | 0.00% | $0 |
| May 2020 | $0 | $0 | 0.00% | $0 |
| June 2020 | $0 | $0 | 0.00% | $0 |
| July 2020 | $0 | $0 | 0.00% | $0 |
| August 2020 | $15,744,256 | $1,977,052 | 12.56% | $166,072 |
| September 2020 | $33,503,929 | $4,376,407 | 13.06% | $367,618 |
| October 2020 | $46,120,824 | $7,596,972 | 16.47% | $638,146 |
| November 2020 | $25,080,140 | $2,337,638 | 9.32% | $196,362 |
| December 2020 | $9,720,393 | $1,883,240 | 19.37% | $158,192 |
| January 2021 | $150,849,896 | $17,396,144 | 11.53% | $517,022 |
| February 2021 | $325,569,037 | $9,395,292 | 2.89% | $242,185 |
| March 2021 | $383,691,892 | $35,240,684 | 9.18% | $1,111,886 |
| April 2021 | $274,212,630 | $21,922,961 | 7.99% | $629,336 |
| May 2021 | $257,748,035 | $21,228,714 | 8.24% | $1,140,664 |
| June 2021 | $259,504,202 | $27,244,793 | 10.50% | $1,638,701 |
| July 2021 | $206,267,088 | $20,766,255 | 10.07% | $864,014 |
| August 2021 | $208,565,955 | $17,537,778 | 8.4% | $679,308 |
| September 2021 | $386,780,231 | $27,138,074 | 7.0% | $717,728 |
| October 2021 | $497,565,425 | $26,949,853 | 5.4% | $775,077 |
| November 2021 | $500,521,376 | $58,448,729 | 11.7% | $1,966,646 |
| December 2021 | $514,630,536 | $35,870,437 | 7.0% | $843,617 |
| January 2022 | $532,681,710 | $36,608,569 | 6.9% | $1,539,045 |
| February 2022 | $423,768,381 | $21,633,471 | 5.1% | $360,354 |
| March 2022 | $477,967,947 | $32,445,133 | 6.8% | $822,314 |
| April 2022 | $396,009,819 | $32,630,491 | 8.2% | $1,101,198 |
| May 2022 | $356,130,390 | $35,920,231 | 10.1% | $1,298,224 |
| Total (since launch) | $6,283,228,048 | $496,679,805 | 7.9% | $16,309,264 |
Sports Betting Dime will update this table monthly with the figures provided by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
Latest MI Revenue News
Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s happened recently with regards to Michigan sports betting revenue.
May 2022Â – Despite seeing another decline in sports betting handle, Michigan sports betting revenue remained above $30 million for the third straight month. The state has collected over $1 million in tax revenue for two straight months, the first time that’s happened since May/June 2021.
April 2022 –Â Michigan sports betting handle dipped below $400 million for the first time since September 2021, as the summer sports betting slowdown began to approach. Michigan sports betting revenue will likely decline until October 2022 when most major sports are back underway.
March 2022 – With $477,967,947 in total wagers through March 2022, Michigan has now collected over $5 billion in total wagers and $428 million in sportsbook revenue since sports betting launched two years ago.
February 2022 –Â After setting a new record for monthly betting handle in January, Michigan had another strong month in February, as sportsbooks collected over $20 million in sports betting revenue. This was driven by events like the NFL Super Bowl, as many Detroit Lions fans were likely betting on former QB Matthew Stafford and the LA Rams.
January 2022 –Â Michigan started the new year with another record in monthly sports betting handle, totaling $532,681,710 in sports wagers through January 2022.
December 2021 –Â As sports betting handles reach new records every month, Michigan has once again broken their own record. Michigan collected a total of $514,630,536 through sports wagers in the final month of 2021.
November 2021 –Â The monthly sports betting handle in Michigan crossed the $500 million mark for the first time, setting a record with $500,521,376 in wagers through November.
October 2021 –Â Like many other states in the country, Michigan set a monthly sports betting handle record in October 2021, reaching a total of $497,565,425.
September 2021 –Â As expected, the start of the NFL season had a huge impact on the waning sports betting handle figures in Michigan. The state pulled in over $386 million as the 2021 football season kicked off.
August 2021 –Â Sports betting revenue in Michigan began to recover after one of its worst months in 2021, as the handle increased by over $2 million. While the $208 million collected in bets through August is still a low figure, wagering in the Wolverine State is starting to pick up as the NFL season approaches.
July 2021 – Michigan’s sports betting handle hits its lowest level since January, when online sportsbooks were only live for the final ten days of the month. MI sportsbooks took in $206 million in bets in July and generated just under $21 million in gross revenue after paying out winning bets.
Through its first 12 months of legal sports betting, the Wolverine State reached a total betting handle of $1,988,606,278, more than $7 million of which wound up back in state and municipal coffers. Over 92 percent of that handle was taken in 2021, reflecting both the popularity of online betting as well as the effects of COVID-19 casino closures.
June 2021 – Betting handle stays flat at $259,504,202 in June, but Michigan sportsbook revenues jump to $27,244,793 – their second-best month ever. FanDuel Sportsbook led Michigan’s online market with $77 million in betting handle and $10 million in gross revenue for June.
May 2021 – Michigan’s sports betting handle drops to $257,748,035 in May, a 33 percent decline from its March peak. The spring months are known to be the slowest in most calendar years, however, Michigan’s drop-off from its March peak is the largest of any major US sports betting market.
April 2021 – Michigan reports $274,212,630 wagered on sports in April, which is over $100 million less than the previous month. This goes to show that March Madness is a huge driver of betting volume in the Wolverine State.
Still, there’s cause for celebration, as the Michigan sports betting industry surpassed two financial milestones in April: sportsbooks have taken in more than $1 billion in wagers and generated over $100 million in gross gaming revenue since launch.
March 2021 – Michigan set new state records for monthly betting handle and gross revenue in March. MI bettors wagered $383,691,892 and sportsbooks kept $35,240,684 – more than double the state’s previous high for gross gaming revenue set in January.
February 2021 – In its first full month of online sports betting, Michigan took $325 million in wagers, of which $301 million was placed online. This smashes the Wolverine State’s previous monthly record – in fact, February 2021 alone more than doubled Michigan’s all-time sports betting handle. It is the seventh state to reach the $300 million mark in a single month.
The 2.89 percent hold is by far the lowest Michigan had in any month so far, which means sportsbooks paid out more in winnings as a percentage of handle. The low hold rate may also be a result of heavy promotions during the launch of online sportsbooks.
January 2021 – Michigan reports more betting handle in January ($150,849,896) than it did in all of 2020 combined ($130,763,498). Online sports betting was live for just ten days, but with $115 million wagered online, but there’s no doubt it was responsible for this massive uptick. The ceiling for Michigan’s sports betting market instantly became much higher as a result.
Michigan Market Overview
Context is crucial to understanding the data provided in Michigan sports betting revenue reports. Here’s some important information to keep in mind when evaluating the Michigan market.
State Population (2020 Census): 10,077,331
In-state Pro Teams: Detroit Lions (NFL), Detroit Tigers (MLB), Detroit Pistons (NBA), and Detroit Red Wings (NHL)
Launch Date: March 11, 2020
Biggest Monthly Handle: $500,521,376 (November 2021)
Regulator: Michigan Gaming Control Board
Platforms: Online and retail
Tax Rate: 8.4 percent (split between the state and the City of Detroit)
Analysis of Michigan Sports Betting Revenue
Michigan’s legal sports betting industry experienced a slow start due to a combination of unlucky timing and lawmakers’ inability to launch online sports betting from the get-go.
After what we’ll call a soft launch in mid-March 2020, the Wolverine State took in just $130 million in wagers throughout the year. The COVID-19 pandemic shuttered Michigan casinos for months, and sports bettors didn’t have the option to place wagers online.
The ceiling for Michigan’s sports betting market instantly raised when online sportsbooks opened their virtual doors on January 22, 2021.
Let’s look at what to expect in 2021 and beyond.
Booming in 2021
Sports betting will get even more popular in 2021, and Michigan sportsbooks could handle upwards of $4 billion this year at the market’s current growth rate.
The impact of online sportsbooks on Michigan’s sports betting revenue could not be more evident.
The uptick in betting handle coinciding with online sportsbooks’ arrival is fairly obvious in the above graph. Put another way, from March 11, 2020, to February 28, 2021 – nearly a full year – Michigan retail sportsbooks handled $190,159,675 in bets. In the first 38 days of online betting, online sportsbooks took in $417,022,756.
In February 2021, the first full month of online sports betting in Michigan, almost 93 percent of the state betting handle was wagered online. This ratio is consistent with what we see in New Jersey, the nation’s largest sports betting market.
Suffice to say, Michigan has barely scratched the surface of its potential sports betting revenue thus far. With more online operators on the way, don’t be surprised if Michigan becomes one of America’s top five largest sports betting markets in 2021.
Your Source for Michigan Sports Betting
Check back here to see the latest Michigan sports betting revenue figures and analysis as the market continues to expand.
Sports Betting Dime will keep you up to date with Michigan sports betting news. Find the best sites with our Michigan sports betting page to open an account with along with all the necessary rules and regulations, bonuses, and other details needed to start placing sports bets in the state. You can also explore our state-by-state revenue tracker to see how MI compares to other markets across America.
Have fun and enjoy the action out there!
