April was a very good month for the state of Michigan when it comes to gambling earnings. The Michigan Gaming Control Board reported a 28.6% increase for online casino revenue compared to last year, making it the third highest in the state’s history.
The $248.1 million figure is led by March’s whopping $260 million earnings, spurred on by sporting events like March Madness. Gamblers earned massive amounts of cash, with the state also receiving a decent payout by taxing the nearly $250 million for $48.2 million.
While Michigan reaps the rewards, it has been vigilant in the last month over ensuring the safety of gamblers. Offshore online casinos and other illegal activities have been a prime target for the state. In April, we reported on a total of 24 illegal operators having their sites cracked down on, done over two instances.
The state will also begin investigations into the burgeoning predictions market, something that companies like DraftKings are keen to take advantage of. Again, these are mostly concerned with illegal operators, which the Michigan Gaming Control Board wants to protect its clearly valuable public from.
Michigan pays out big
Elsewhere in Michigan, the tribal operators reported $5.6 million paid out to their “respective governing bodies.” Detroit also reported $13.1 million in taxes and municipal services across three casinos, with it split into:
- iGaming taxes and fees: $12.6 million
- Internet sports betting taxes and fees: $504,986
However, the total sports betting handle paid into the system is enormous. Players spent a total of $417.6 million on sports wagers, which was down 12.1% from the 475.1 million in March. Again, there was nothing compared to that of March Madness in April, which paid out massively.
It also makes mention that “15 commercial and tribal operators” have permission and authorization to run “iGaming and/or internet sports betting in Michigan” as of April 2025.
