Final Week Pushes Michigan Sportsbooks Past $130M In Bets For 2020
The Detroit casinos reopened for the final week of 2020, just in time to close out the first year of sports betting in Michigan.
In all $130,763,497.53 was wagered in 2020 on sports at Greektown Casino, MGM Grand Detroit, and MotorCity Casino. That number was finalized after the Michigan Gaming Control Board reported $9.7 million of wagers in December, a one-week period at the end of the year.
The casinos closed on Nov. 18, but all three reopened in the days leading up to Christmas on Dec. 25.
This was the second closure of the year after Detroit’s casinos closed on March 16, five days after Michigan sports betting launched. That closure lasted nearly five months until early August.
MotorCity, Greektown finish strong
The December numbers also include a strong close at Greektown, which highlighted its reopening with the unveiling of its new permanent Barstool Sportsbook.
In December, Greektown captured a 21.8% market share, up from the 20.6% it had previously done through the late December reopening.
MotorCity, however, had the biggest boost. Its FanDuel Sportsbook led the way for December handle, taking $4.7 million in bets, compared to $2.9 million at MGM Grand.
| Licensee | Handle | Revenue | State Tax | Local Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MGM Grand | $2,872,394 | $776,788 | $29,363 | $35,888 |
| MotorCity | $4,721,663 | $646,003 | $24,419 | $29,845 |
| Greektown | $2,126,336 | $460,449 | $17,405 | $21,273 |
| Grand Traverse | ? | ? | $0 | $0 |
| Hannahville | ? | ? | $0 | $0 |
| Little River | ? | ? | $0 | $0 |
| Little Traverse Bay | ? | ? | $0 | $0 |
| Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish | ? | ? | $0 | $0 |
| Pokagon | ? | ? | $0 | $0 |
| Sault Ste. Marie | ? | ? | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $9,720,393 | $1,883,240 | $71,186 | $87,006 |
This was the only month of 2020 where MGM didn’t lead the market in sports betting handle.
For 2020, retail sports betting in Detroit raised $18.3 million in revenue for the casinos, more than $844,000 in tax revenue for the city, and more than $690,000 for the state of Michigan.
| Casino | Handle | Revenue | State tax (3.78%) | City of Detroit tax (4.62%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | $166,447,691.29. | $22,339,974.96 | $844,451.05 | $1,032,106.84 |
| MGM Grand Detroit | $68,722,968.50 | $9,029,186.40 | $341,303.25 | $417,148.42 |
| MotorCity Casino | $61,496,308.00 | $7,596,247.30 | $287,138.15 | $350,946.62 |
| Greektown Casino-Hotel | $36,228,414.79 | $5,714,541.26 | $216,009.66 | $264,011.81 |
What’s next for Michigan sports betting?
Several tribal casinos across the state also have sportsbooks but don’t have to report their numbers to the MGCB. However, the MGCB will oversee all online sports betting in the state, even platforms that are partnered with the tribes.
That means the 2021 numbers will have a more comprehensive look at the state’s sports betting market as a whole.
For the latest updates on the online sports betting launch in Michigan, check out our live updates page.
Overall Detroit casino revenue took a huge 2020 hit
Year-over-year revenue at Detroit’s casinos took a 57.9% hit compared to 2019, reporting nearly $639 million in aggregate revenue.
The 2020 market shares for casino revenue were:
- MGM Grand, 41%
- MotorCity, 36%
- Greektown, 23%
The casinos reported $23.9 million revenue for December while operating at limited capacity for nine days due to COVID-19 health concerns.
The board also released November numbers for fantasy sports contests, which totaled $2.2 million in revenue and more than $188,000 paid in taxes to the state.
DraftKings topped rival FanDuel there, as it also had in every earlier 2020 month, netting $1.4 million in revenue compared to FanDuel’s more than $871,000.
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