Michigan iGaming Revenue Hits $312.5 Million in August
Michigan’s commercial and tribal internet gaming operators reported combined gross revenue of $312.54 million from iGaming and internet sports betting in August, marking a 9.8% increase compared to July.
Fifteen operators in the state are licensed to operate either sports betting or online casino gaming or both. Michigan online casinos alone generated $263.3 million in gross revenue in August, up from $250.5 million in July. Meanwhile, online Michigan sports betting brought in $49.3 million, a notable increase from $34.1 million the previous month.
Adjusted gross receipts (AGR), which account for player winnings and other deductions, reached $281.4 million for August. Of that total, $247.2 million came from online gaming and $34.2 million from sports betting. Compared with July, iGaming AGR increased by 5.1%, while sports betting AGR surged 43.1%. Year-on-year online casino AGR increased by 39.8%, while sports betting AGR grew by $17.9 million compared to August 2024.
These increases come as Michigan recently welcomed Incentive Games to the state, after the MGCB provided the igaming operator with a preliminary internet gaming license.
Michigan Supreme Court rules in players' favour
A Michigan woman whose online gambling account temporarily showed winnings exceeding $3 million has won the right to pursue damages against BetMGM through Wayne Circuit Court, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
The case, which has been filed as Davis v. BetMGM, centers on Jacqueline Davis, who began playing the online game Luck O’ the Roulette with a $50 deposit on March 18, 2021. Over several days, Davis’s winnings grew exponentially, and she eventually requested a payout of $100,000, which she received. By March 23, 2021, her account balance had reached $3.3, with individual wagers climbing to $5,000 per play.
BetMGM later flagged ‘unusual activity’ and claimed a malfunction had artificially inflated her balance, stating that her account should have read zero by play 368. The company removed the game from the Michigan market and notified the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB).
Davis initially filed a dispute with the circuit court and the MGCB seeking her winnings. The circuit court ruled against her, a decision partially upheld by the Court of Appeals. However, the Michigan Supreme Court unanimously concluded that the procedures in the Lawful Internet Gaming Act do not preclude a player from seeking legal action.
In his judgment, Justice Brian Zahra hinted at the potential implications of the decision, “We would be remiss not to acknowledge that this shift in public policy may give rise to new rights under the law.”
He went on to suggest that the common law framework in Michigan had to evolve to take account of the legalization of internet gambling. Meanwhile the case has been referred to the circuit courts for a trial that could have industry-wide ramifications for cases of game error.
