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Michigan is almost a half year into the online MI sports betting and MI internet casino launches. We’ve seen the betting impact of the NFL playoffs, March Madness and other marquee sporting events throughout the state.
Currently, the sports world is in a bit of a lull with football yet to start and the NBA playoffs set to conclude. That's why it was impressive to see that the over betting numbers remained steady for the second consecutive month, with the state reporting a total online sports betting handle of $235.1 million, down just 1% from May’s $237.5 million.
Here are three MI gambling takeaways from the most recent report from the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
Michigan Sports Betting June vs. May
| Total handle | Mobile handle | Revenue (GGR) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| June | $259.504M | $235.125M | $24.379M |
| May | $257.748M | $237.551M | $20.197M |
| Change | Up 0.7% | Down 1.0% | Up 20.7% |
Handles Remain Steady
Since Michigan’s online sports betting launch, the online sports betting handles between May and June were the lowest difference when looking at the month-to-month numbers. Just $2.4 million separated the two monthly sports betting handles.
The similar handles shouldn’t be totally surprising. From May to June the overall sports calendar hasn’t changed from a regular schedule of the NBA playoffs and daily baseball games. There were also the other major events in sports such as tennis and golf, with the golf U.S. Open and tennis French Open taking place in June. July also had a golf major and tennis major with the Open and Wimbledon held during the month.
After Michigan recorded a record online handle of $359.5 million, the state’s overall handle has seemed to plateau around the mid $200 million range for the summer months. It’ll be interesting to see if it will spike this fall when NFL betting and college football return.
Olympics provide boost?
The Olympics have been approved by the Michigan Gaming Control Board for bettors to place wagers on this summer. It’s the first time players in Michigan can bet on anything from popular sports such as basketball, tennis and track and field to other niche sports like handball or beach volleyball.
With the number of events and betting options in each, the Olympics could provide a boost to Michigan’s July sports betting handle numbers. We could see the state eclipse the $250 million mark for the first time since March if the event turns out to be a draw for Michigan bettors.
WynnBET Rises
The biggest June riser in Michigan’s operators list turned out to be WynnBET, which recorded its month — a high of $5.5 million in handle for June, an increase of 285% from May’s $1.42 million.
WynnBET’s $5.5 million was nearly as much as the other five months combined, with the sportsbook operator reporting a total handle of $7.2 million during that time.
WynnBET gained access to Michigan through its partnership with the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The gaming company announced a partnership with the Detroit Lions on July 15.
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