Handle Declines in Monthly, Yearly Comparisons

Handle Declines in Monthly, Yearly Comparisons
Fact Checked by Jim Tomlin

In January, Michigan sportsbooks reported nearly $491 million in sports betting handle, down very slightly from the previous month and a bit more of a decline from January 2022.

The exact sports betting handle, or amount wagered, was $490,904,822 in January, from mobile and retail combined. That was down 0.8% from December ($494.82 million) and off by 7.8% from 12 months earlier ($532.68 million).

The mobile sports betting handle on Michigan sportsbook apps was down 0.6% in a month-to-month comparison, from $478.74 million in December to $475.63 million last month.

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Sports Betting Revenue Also Dips

The total adjusted sports betting gross gaming revenue was $17,956,188 in January (with $17,845,165 of that online), down 44.6% from the Michigan December betting revenue of nearly $32.4 million.

The total tax derived from sports betting fell 39.2%, from $1.94 million in the previous month to $1.18 million in January.

Of the 15 sports betting operators, FanDuel Michigan Sportsbook, DraftKings and BetMGM led the way with handles exceeding $100 million.

FanDuel reported a monthly best $20.1 million in revenue and had a 13.1% hold. Barstool Sportsbook (Greektown), WynnBet (Sault Ste. Marie) and FireKeepers (Nottawaseppi Huron) reported a loss in January.

The decline in total sports betting handle, by nearly $42 million, from January 2022 could be attributed to several factors. But the New Year’s Day launch of sportsbooks in neighboring Ohio — at mobile and retail outlets plus hundreds of sports betting kiosks statewide — is one explanation for Michigan’s decline. That decreased the out-of-state traffic Michigan would receive from its southern neighbor.

MI Sports Betting, January vs. December

Total handle Mobile handleRevenue (GGR)
January$490.905M$475.627M$17.956M
December$494.820M$478.738M$32.392M
Change Down 0.8% Down 0.6% Down 44.6%

Michigan Retail Sports Betting

The three Detroit commercial casinos — MGM Grand Detroit, Motorcity Casino and Hollywood Casino at Greektown — produced just over $111,000 in revenue last month, according to numbers released Tuesday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. The total retail sports betting handle was $15.2 million (down 5% from December) and gross receipts totaled just under $150,000.

Motorcity Casino had the highest qualified adjusted gross receipts in January, totaling over $230,000. MGM and Hollywood Casino were over $62,000. 

Overall, Detroit’s trio of casinos had a handle of $15.2 million and total gross receipts were just under $150,000. Detroit casinos had a state tax of $8,939, compared to $73,037 in January 2022. The Detroit casinos submitted $10,926 in wagering taxes to the city.

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Operators Set Record Again

Michigan reported a 0.6% month-to-month increase in total adjusted gross receipts for iGaming, at $138.3 million on Michigan casino apps. That broke the record set in December of nearly $137.5 million and was the fourth consecutive record month for Michigan iGaming.

The state’s total sales tax for iGaming was $24.8 million, a nearly 13% increase from December ($28.5 million).

As far as gross receipts (before adjustments), the state took in $187.3 million in combined revenue from Michigan online casinos and sports betting. That figure was down 7.1% from December ($201.6 million).

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Author

Shelby Dermer

Shelby Dermer is a reporter for BetMichigan.com. Shelby has been a sports reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer for the last five years and now lends his expertise to the Michigan sports betting market. He grew up in Waynesville, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio University.

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