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PlayMichigan.com: Sports betting drops for second consecutive month
Michigan’s sports betting volume slumped for the second consecutive month in May. Meanwhile, online casinos remained achingly close to the state’s first $100 million revenue month — another impressive total for what has already become one of the three largest online casino markets in the U.S. in less than five months, according to PlayMichigan, which analyzes and researches the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market.
“Online casinos don’t face the same dramatic seasonal variances as sports betting does, so they act as a steadying force for the industry,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayMichigan.com. “On the other hand, sportsbooks have been hit by the seasonality of sports betting and struggling local teams. It appears they will have to wait until the end of summer before substantial growth can be expected again.”
Michigan online sportsbooks took in $237.6 million in wagers through the 31 days of May, down 4.9% from $249.9 million over the 30 days of April, according to official data released Tuesday by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. Combined with $20.2 million in retail handle, which was announced last week, Michigan’s online and retail sportsbooks took in $257.7 million in bets. That total is down 6.0% from $274.2 million in bets in April.
Gross operator revenue from online betting fell 4.5% to $19.5 million in May from $20.4 million in April. That produced $9.9 million in taxable revenue, down from $10.9 million, yielding $993,784 in state taxes.
With its 28.5% drop in wagering, Michigan’s April handle represented the steepest month-over-month decline among the 10 largest sports betting markets in the U.S. May’s results so far lags behind other states that have already reported April data, too. Iowa’s wagering was down 2.9% in May, for example, while Indiana’s handle rose 7.6%, to $254.4 million.
A slowdown in sports betting from April until the kickoff of football season is inevitable in nearly every state. But Michigan’s decline has been more pronounced because as the initial enthusiasm that came from the launch of online betting began to settle, the sports schedule also waned. Even more, all of Detroit’s professional teams that were in action in April and May — the Pistons, Red Wings, and Tigers — struggled mightily.
“A lack of success from Detroit teams naturally saps interest, and Michigan is facing too many short-term factors to overcome completely,” said Matt Schoch, analyst for PlayMichigan.com. “Despite the declines in betting volume, there aren’t any systemic issues. Even if the Lions’ prospects are equally dim, substantial growth will almost certainly return with the beginning of football season.”
FanDuel/MotorCity Casino led all online sportsbooks with $71.2 million in wagering, down from $74.2 million in April, and $9.3 million in gross sports betting receipts, up from $7 million. That total yielded $7.4 million in taxable revenue.
DraftKings/Bay Mills Indian Community followed with $66.7 million in wagers, up from $61.5 million in April. Gross gaming revenue fell to $1.9 million from $3.4 million in April. BetMGM/MGM Grand Detroit remained third with $51.6 million in bets, down from $54.9 million in April while producing $5.3 million in gross receipts and $2.7 million in taxable revenue.
The online market leaders were followed by:
- Barstool/Greektown Casino ($18.2 million handle, down from $24.8 million in March; $1.1 million gross revenue, down from $2.4 million)
- PointsBet/Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians ($11.4 million handle, down from $14.1 million; $1 million GGR, up from $807,988)
- William Hill/Grand Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians ($6.2 million handle, down from $7 million; $217,050 GGR, down from $346,865)
- FOX Bet/Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians ($5.1 million handle, down from $5.5 million; $338,049 GGR, down from $371,271)
- BetRivers/Little River Band of the Ottawa Indians ($2.8 million handle, up slightly from April; $76,004 GGR, down from $172,146)
- Twin Spires/Hannahville Indian Community ($1.5 million handle, down from $1.9 million; $95,645 GGR, down from $163,524)
- Wynn/Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians ($1.4 million handle, down from $1.9 million; $168,874 GGR, down from $177,154)
- Golden Nugget/Keweenaw Bay Indian Community ($923,269 handle, down from $874,114; $10,750 GGR, up from -$2,623)
- Four Winds Sportsbook/Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians ($545,937 handle, up from $345,719; -$20,000 GGR, down from $7,908)
“The next few months should help bring innovation from sportsbooks, as each operator experiments with ways to spur interest during the slow season,” Schoch said. “Those developments could be unique promotions built around the upcoming Olympics, or interesting NBA playoff or baseball bets. Regardless, innovation in a competitive market is ultimately good for the entire industry.”
Online casinos and poker
Revenue for Michigan’s online casinos and poker rooms hit $94.9 million in May, essentially even with April but still just below the record $95.1 million reached in March. May’s win breaks down to $3.1 million per day of the 31 days of the month, down slightly from $3.2 million per day over the 30 days of April.
The win produced adjusted gross receipts of $89.1 million, up from $88.9 million in April. That total yielded $18.1 million in state taxes and $7.1 million in local taxes.
Michigan is still trying to join New Jersey and Pennsylvania as the only states to reach $100 million in revenue over a single month. The growth has stalled in recent months, but online casinos overall have grown far more quickly than any other U.S. online casino market. Since January, online casinos and poker have generated $393.9 million in revenue and $99.7 million in state and local taxes. By comparison, online and retail sportsbooks have generated $123.5 million in revenue and just $5.2 million in state and local taxes.
“Online casinos have become a powerhouse of revenue generation,” Welman said. “Revenue has remained high, even as retail casinos around Detroit have become more accessible. Looking ahead, the popularity of these games should remain — and likely expand — over the next few months, even as retail casinos’ operations continue to steady.”
Other highlights from May:
- BetMGM/MGM Grand Detroit led with $36.1 million in gross receipts, yielding $10.6 million in state and local taxes.
- FanDuel/Motor City was second with $16.3 million in GGR, producing $4.3 million in state and local taxes.
For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting in Michigan, visit PlayMichigan.com/news.
About the PlayUSA.com Network:
The PlayUSA.com Network is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. With a presence in over a dozen states, PlayUSA.com and its state-focused branches (including PlayMichigan.com, PlayNJ.com, and PlayPennsylvania.com) produce daily original reporting, publish in-depth research, and offer player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online gaming options for consumers. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliations to any casino — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.
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BetVictor Canada has launched its new out-of-home advertising campaign across the streets of Toronto to promote NBA legend Tracy McGrady as its Safer Gambling Ambassador.
Two mobile digital trucks strategically targeting high-traffic areas near Scotiabank Arena, Rogers Centre, and major sporting events will provide prime audience exposure for the campaign, scheduled around Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, and Toronto Blue Jays home games.
To further enhance the campaign’s reach, BetVictor Canada has partnered with Clear Media Group to leverage digital taxi tops across Toronto, providing city-wide exposure with 100 taxis displaying key brand messaging. These digital taxi tops will run during peak evening hours (5:00pm – 9:00pm) on select dates until April 5th, 2025.
The campaign coincides with Problem Gambling Awareness Month, a nationwide grassroots campaign held each March that seeks to increase public awareness of problem gambling and promote prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
BetVictor Canada offers an array of tools and services to help its Canadian customers bet and play safely and responsibly, across a host of sports betting markets and online casino games.
Mark Harper, Head of Emerging Markets at BV Group, said: “BetVictor is delighted to be participating in the National Council of Problem Gambling campaign in March, to help increase public awareness of problem gambling and the need to promote prevention, treatment and recovery services.
“In using our Safer Gambling Ambassador, Tracy McGrady, to raise awareness about BetVictor’s safer gambling tools such as loss limits, time alerts and product restrictions we are dedicated to ensuring all players have a safe gambling experience. #PGAM2025.”
The post BetVictor Canada launches Tracy McGrady Safer Gambling campaign appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
AGCO
AGCO issues $110,000 in penalties to BetMGM Canada for offering cash to induce new gambling customers
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has served BetMGM Canada Inc. with an Order of Monetary Penalty (OMP) of $110,000 for violations of the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.
In two separate incidents in 2024, BetMGM engaged marketing companies who offered cash to members of the public in return for opening new BetMGM accounts. The marketing activities occurred in public forums, such as a major national trade conference. Under AGCO’s Standards, operators are responsible for the conduct of their third-party suppliers who are contracted to support the operator’s Ontario gaming business, and must require their third-parties to meet Ontario laws, regulations and standards (Standard 1.19).
Ontario is one of the first jurisdictions in the world to establish and enforce rules that strictly limit high-risk inducement advertising and marketing in the online gambling industry. Registered iGaming operators are prohibited from offering gambling inducements, bonuses and credits as part of their broad public advertising and marketing activities (Standard 2.05). These Standards exist to protect Ontarians from predatory advertising and promotional marketing practices in order to limit the risk of gambling-related harm.
A registered operator served with an OMP by the AGCO has the right to appeal the Registrar’s decision to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), which is an adjudicative tribunal independent of the AGCO and part of Tribunals Ontario.
QUOTE
“Responsible gambling safeguards and the protection of Ontarians on registered gaming sites is among our key priorities. The AGCO monitors the activities of all registered operators and their third-party suppliers to ensure they are meeting our high standards and we continue to take strong action to ensure they operate within the public interest.”
Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar – AGCO
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
BetMGM Canada Inc. failed to comply with the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming. Specifically, the licensee failed to comply with the following provisions of the Standards:
- 1.19 Operators are responsible for the actions of third parties with whom they contract for the provision of any aspect of the Operator’s business related to gaming in Ontario and must require the third party to conduct themselves in so far as they carry out activities on behalf of the operator as if they were bound by the same laws, regulations, and standards.
- 2.05 Advertising and marketing materials that communicate gambling inducements, bonuses and credits are prohibited, except on an operator’s gaming site and through direct advertising and marketing, after receiving active player consent.
Contrary to the Standards, BetMGM Canada Inc. and/or their affiliates allegedly engaged in the following activities:
| a) | On or about January 13 and 14, 2024, BetMGM representatives were alleged to have attended the National Franchise Show and were offering $100 in cash to new players for opening a new account and depositing $15. |
| b) | On or about March 11, 2024, BetMGM acknowledged that its marketing affiliate “Above the Street” had engaged in prohibited inducement marketing. The conduct resulted in 377 player sign-ups and $127,180.00 in commissions to “Above the Street”. |
| c) | On or about April 13, 2024, another BetMGM marketing affiliate “Maple Leaf Marketing” engaged in prohibited inducements and marketing to induce on-site activations and acquire new players. The conduct resulted in 94 player sign-ups and about $34,000.00 in commissions paid to “Maple Leaf Marketing”. |
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BCLC’s new “What’s played here stays here” campaign is issuing an important reminder to British Columbians who choose to gamble – specifically that all net profit its operations generate stays in B.C. to help fund critical services like education, health care and community programs.
The campaign also reinforces that all other gambling websites operating in B.C. are illegal and take away funds from critical community programs and services.
“Across B.C. and Canada, we’ve seen incredible groundswell around the importance of buying and supporting local, and that’s no different for British Columbians who choose gambling for their entertainment. We want our B.C. players to know they can find a world-class gambling experience in their own backyard, whether it’s at one of our 33 casinos, 3,400 lottery retailers, or online at PlayNow.com, and that the proceeds from their play with BCLC make a positive impact at home in their community,” Pat Davis, President and CEO of BCLC, said.
Along with illegal online gambling websites, BCLC also competes with Washington State and Las Vegas casinos, all of which aggressively market to B.C. residents.
“BCLC continues to raise awareness that these gambling options do not support B.C.’s economy and take away funds from vital provincial and community-based programs and services. In a time when British Columbians are standing united, we want to reinforce that playing together with BCLC helps make B.C. even better,” Pat Davis added.
The post BCLC Launches “What’s played here stays here” Campaign appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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