Michigan Online Sports Betting Numbers See Expected Drop In May; Online Casinos Have Another Strong Month

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Written By Playinmichigan Staff on June 16, 2022

May was a relatively calm month for Michigan sportsbooks, as they recorded a total handle of $356.1 million. Although it marked a 10% decline compared to April, it represented a considerable 38% growth compared to May of the previous year.

Michigan online casinos and poker sites remained resilient, although they experienced a minor decline compared to the exceptional performance seen in April. The total revenue generated from internet gaming amounted to $127.4 million, representing a decrease of 3.8% from the record-breaking $132.4 million achieved in the previous month.

Paul Costanzo, the lead analyst for PlayInmichigan.com, stated that due to being in the slow season for sports, it is expected that sports betting numbers have decreased. However, he mentioned that online casinos are still flourishing in the state. He believes that the steady success of online casinos compensates for the natural fluctuations in sports events.

May 2022 Michigan sports betting numbers

These are the key figures provided by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

  • Total handle for the given period amounted to $356.1 million, with $333.4 million generated through online channels.
  • The revenue amounted to $35.9 million, with $33.5 million generated from online sources.
  • The current hold rate is 10.1%, which has increased from 8.2% in the previous month.
  • Promotional credits: $11.1 million
  • Month-over-month: Handle decreased 10%
  • The sports betting taxes for May amount to $1.1 million allocated to the state and $694,000 designated for local entities.
  • FanDuel Sportsbook MI emerges as the leading online sports betting app with an impressive handle of $99.4 million.
  • FanDuel, the leading online sports betting app, has generated an impressive revenue of $15.2 million.

May 2022 Michigan online casino revenue

In May, online casinos in Michigan continued to generate impressive figures.

  • In April, the online casino revenue experienced a decrease of 3.8% compared to the previous month, amounting to $127.4 million.
  • In May, the state received $23.5 million in online casino tax payments, while local entities received $9.8 million.
  • BetMGM Michigan stands as the highest-grossing online casino application, generating an impressive revenue of $49.2 million.

Top takeaways from May 2022 Michigan online gambling numbers

Michigan not dipping as much as other states

Although it was anticipated that May would bring a decline in sports betting handle, Michigan’s dip of 10.2% is comparatively better than that of many other states.

To provide a point of reference, let’s examine the decline in other states from April to May:

  • Indiana: 14%
  • Maryland: 14%
  • Iowa: 17%
  • Mississippi: 18%

Michigan’s online handle of $333.4 million marks its lowest since August of the previous year, just before the NFL season kicked off. Despite this, the revenue of $33.5 million stands as the second-best of 2022 and the fourth-highest ever recorded in Michigan.

Year-to-year growth very strong

The reason why the dips in May should not be a cause for concern is that they still represent a significant increase compared to the same period last year.

In comparison to May 2021, the total sports betting volume has increased by 38% ($257.7 million). The revenue generated from sports betting has also seen a significant growth of 69% compared to the previous year ($21.2 million).

Online casino revenue last month saw a significant increase compared to the same period last year. There was a notable 34.2% surge in internet gaming, with revenues reaching $127.4 million, compared to $94.9 million in May 2021.

iGaming holding strong

Internet gaming in Michigan remains strong, not only in terms of year-to-year growth, but also in overall popularity.

Michigan had the third-highest online casino revenue month in its history, even though there was a slight decrease compared to the record month in April.

In comparison, only December 2021 witnessed internet gaming revenue exceeding $121 million, whereas all five months of 2022 have already exceeded this benchmark.

DraftKings continuing sports betting slide

Throughout the majority of 2021, DraftKings Sportsbook MI consistently vied with FanDuel Sportsbook as the leading online provider in Michigan.

DraftKings, despite FanDuel’s victories, has consistently maintained its position as the runner-up.

Since the beginning of 2022, DraftKings has experienced a consistent decline, enabling BetMGM Michigan to secure the second position for the past three months.

Since 2022, let’s take a glimpse at the market share of the leading three online sportsbooks.

  • In January, FanDuel had a market share of 26.7%, followed closely by DraftKings at 26.6%, while BetMGM held a market share of 22.3%.
  • In February, FanDuel had a market share of 30.7%, while DraftKings accounted for 23.8% and BetMGM held 21.8% of the market.
  • In March, the market shares of FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM were 31.0%, 22.8%, and 23.9% respectively.
  • In April, FanDuel accounted for 31.9% of the market share, while DraftKings held 21.0% and BetMGM had 24.2%.
  • In May, the market shares for FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM were 29.8%, 20.7%, and 24.0% respectively.

As of now, DraftKings maintains a 25% market share for online handle, making it the second largest in the industry, just behind FanDuel with 28.1%.

PlayEagle completes first month

In May 2022, PlayEagle Casino & Sports, Michigan’s 15th online sportsbook and internet gaming provider, completed its inaugural month of operation.

During its initial month of operation, the online sports betting platform experienced financial losses due to bets placed by users. Despite generating a handle of $994,747, the overall outcome resulted in a loss of $14,884. Among Michigan’s various internet operators, the platform ranked 11th based on its handle.

In comparison, Parx Sportsbook was the second-to-last to launch before Soaring Eagle’s release. It generated $1.46 million in online handle during its initial month of operation.

Among internet gaming operators, PlayEagle’s online casino ranked 13th, generating a revenue of $1.4 million in May.

Michigan May 2022 sports betting handle and revenue by operator

Licensee Online Brand Handle Revenue Hold Taxes
MotorCity FanDuel $103,605,316 $15,734,476 15.2% $727,336
MGM Grand Detroit BetMGM $85,415,532 $9,021,899 10.6% $328,928
Bay Mills DraftKings $69,051,368 $5,020,855 7.3% $0
Greektown Barstool $45,880,178 $3,456,484 7.5% $226,773
Grand Traverse Caesars $27,023,962 $710,949 2.6% $0
Lac Vieux Desert PointsBet $8,626,027 $852,215 9.9% $0
Little River BetRIvers $6,435,050 $453,924 7.1% $0
Little Traverse Bay Fox Bet $2,493,409 $207,787 8.3% $13,193
Sault Ste. Marie WynnBet $2,383,519 $96,856 4.1% $1,994
Nottawaseppi Huron FireKeepers $1,204,416 $125,610 10.4% $0
Sagniaw Chippewa Eagle $994,747 -$14,884 -1.5% $0
Keweenaw Bay Golden Nugget $992,950 $54,002 5.4% $0
Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Play Gun Lake $741,065 $60,534 8.2% $0
Pokagon Four Winds $668,106 $80,814 12.1% $0
Hannahville TwinSpires $614,744 $58,709 9.6% $0
Total $356,130,390 $35,920,231 10.1% $1,298,224

Michigan May 2022 online casino revenue by operator

Licensee Brand Revenue Promos State Tax Local Tax
MGM Grand Detroit BetMGM $49,238,654 $4,923,865 $8,685,699 $4,276,377
MotorCity FanDuel $20,076,406 $2,007,641 $3,541,478 $1,743,636
Bay Mills DraftKings $17,827,598 $1,779,759 $3,594,716 $1,741,191
Little River BetRivers $8,855,135 $885,514 $1,785,195 $446,299
Grand Traverse Caesars $6,465,549 $646,555 $1,303,455 $325,864
Keweenaw Bay Golden Nugget $6,154,354 $615,435 $1,240,718 $310,179
Sault Ste. Marie WynnBet $4,137,927 $413,793 $834,206 $208,552
Greektown Barstool $3,815,014 $381,501 $672,969 $331,334
Pokagon Four Winds $2,818,060 $281,806 $519,208 $129,802
Little Traverse Bay Fox Bet $2,462,716 $246,272 $462,787 $115,697
Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Play Gun Lake $1,727,616 $172,762 $298,532 $74,633
Nottawaseppi Huron FireKeepers $1,436,948 $143,695 $227,613 $56,903
Saginaw Chippewa Eagle $1,368,148 $136,815 $197,013 $49,253
Hannahville TwinSpires $592,700 $12,378 $95,993 $23,998
Lac Vieux Desert PointsBet $408,679 $42,066 $58,658 $14,665
Total $127,385,503 $12,689,856 $23,518,238 $9,848,382