September was expected to be a huge month for the US sports betting industry, and that has been the case with the early reports. Michigan has continued that trend as the Michigan Gaming Control Board just announced a record-breaking month for the state.
The total sports betting handle in Michigan for the month was $386.8 million, barely eclipsing the mark that was set earlier this year in March. That was a jump of more than 85 percent from the August handle, and it could set the stage for a big finish to 2021.
The online sports betting handle was also an impressive number as that total was $354.3 million. Michigan had two straight months where it failed to get to $200 million in online handle, but the streak was stopped in September.
Retail betting at the three commercial casinos in Detroit was also up for the month of September. Those three casinos saw a retail handle of $32.5 million, which was an increase of nearly 100 percent from August.
There was one disappointing figure that was reported as the gross gaming revenue fell by more than 60 percent in September. That drop in revenue also had an impact on the amount of tax dollars that was collected by the state.
DraftKings Leading the Way
DraftKings was able to take the top spot away from FanDuel back in August, and the operator managed to stay on top again in September. DraftKings had a total handle of just over $101 million for the month, which gave it a pretty sizable lead.
FanDuel actually has some competition for second place in the state as the total handle with that operator was $82.1 million, BetMGM came in third place in September with a total handle of $81.8 million.
Barstool, Caesars Making a Move
DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM have dominated the online sports betting scene in Michigan, but at least two operators are starting to make a move. Barstool Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook have had some rough months of late, but things turned around in September.
Barstool had a total handle of $29.5 million in September after the total dipped all the way down to just $13.1 million in August. Caesars Sportsbook had a handle that was just shy of $24 million, which was the best total since it rebranded from the old William Hill name.
iGaming Strong in Michigan
The entire iGaming industry had a major month in September as online casinos produced a revenue of over $100 million for the first time. Online casino gaming launched at the same time as online sports betting, and the growth of this industry has been impressive as well.
BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel are also the leaders when it comes to online casino gaming in Michigan, but they are usually in a different order on the leaderboard. BetMGM was the clear leader in September, accounting for over $40 million in revenue.
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