Michigan Internet Gaming, Sports Betting Operators Report $195.7 Million in April Revenue
As reported by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (“MGCB”), Michigan commercial and tribal internet casino gaming and sports betting operators reported a combined $195.7 million total gross receipts in April. April receipts decreased 9.6% when compared to last month’s results.
April internet gaming gross receipts were $159.4 million. Gross sports betting receipts totaled $36.3 million. In March 2023, internet gaming gross receipts were $171.8 million and gross sports betting receipts were $44.6 million.
Combined total adjusted gross receipts of $167.9 million were reported for April, including $143.4 million from internet gaming and $24.5 million for internet sports betting. Although April revenues in both internet gaming and internet sports betting decreased from March 2023, when compared to April 2022, both increased 20.2% and 46.8% respectively.
Total internet sports betting handle was $322.8 million, reflecting a decrease in 20.82% when compared with March 2023 results of $407.7 million.
The operators delivered $31 million in taxes and payments to the State of Michigan during April, with internet gaming taxes and fees contributing $29.4 million and internet sports betting taxes and fees contributing $1.6 million.
The three Detroit Casinos – MotorCity Casino, MGM Grand Detroit, and Greektown Casino – reported city wagering taxes and municipal service fees of $8.1 million, with internet gaming taxes and fees contributing $7.5 million and internet sports betting taxes and fees contributing $620,743 for the month of April.
Tribal operators reported making total payments of $3.6 million of wagering payments to the tribes’ governing bodies according to the MGCB.
An online gaming and sports betting revenue distribution table is available on the agency’s website.
During April, a total of 15 operators offered internet gaming and internet sports betting. Details for each operator’s internet gaming and internet sports betting results are available and published on the MGCB website.
Commercial Gaming Revenue Sets New Quarterly High, Topping $16B for Q1 of 2023
In a recent press release issued by the American Gaming Association (“AGA”) U.S. commercial gaming hit a quarterly record of $16.60 billion in Q1 2023, continuing the industry’s eighth straight record-breaking quarter, according to the AGA’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker.
“After two full years of successive growth post-COVID, the U.S. gaming industry has never been stronger. With record growth across every gaming vertical—from brick-and-mortar casinos to mobile gaming—American adults continue to choose gaming as one of their top entertainment options,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller.
Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker Highlights
In the United States, 18 of 35 commercial gaming markets set new revenue records for Q1 2023. Retail gaming accounted for 75.3% of total revenue while online gaming represented 24.7%.
Looking further at each sector:
- Traditional Gaming: Traditional brick-and-mortar casino gaming generated quarterly revenue of $12.30 billion, surpassing the previous high of $12.26 billion in Q3 2022.
- Legal Sports Betting: Nationwide, Americans wagered a record $31.11 billion on sports in Q1 2023, generating an all-time high of $2.79 billion in quarterly revenue (+70.1% year-over-year). The growth compared to Q1 2022 was largely driven by new market launches in Kansas, Massachusetts and Ohio.
- iGaming: iGaming grossed $1.48 billion in Q1 2023, marking a 22.7 percent year-over-year revenue increase.
State of the States 2023
This week AGA released its annual State of the States report today, which provides the definitive state-by-state economic and regulatory analysis of U.S. commercial gaming in 2022 for policymakers, gaming stakeholders and industry observers.
State of the States 2023 reveals that commercial gaming generated a record $13.48 billion in direct gaming tax revenue paid to state and local governments in 2022—up 15.3 % from 2021.
“As one of the biggest taxpayers in states across the country, we know that when gaming is successful, so are our communities. Beyond our significant tax contributions, our industry is engrained in local communities, bolstering economic development through job creation, supporting local charities and nonprofits, and setting the standard on corporate responsibility,” added Miller.
Kewadin Casinos Announces Multi-Million-Dollar Upgrade Project
Kewadin Casinos will begin work on a multi-million-dollar upgrade project of the Kewadin Casino Hotel in Sault Ste. Marie this year with the property seeing substantial modernization.
These improvements will start with an all-new exterior and windows. “Our guest experience is of the utmost importance to us, and Kewadin Casinos is revitalizing it with this project as well as several other upgrades at all five Kewadin Casinos,” Kewadin Casinos CEO Allen Kerridge said.
To minimize the impact the project will have on hotel guests, the renovations will be completed in phases. Exterior renovations are expected to take just over a year to complete and will begin in the Summer/Fall of 2023 and ending in Winter of 2024. Kewadin Casino Sault Ste. Marie will remain open for the duration of the project.
“We’re proud to be one of the first casinos in Michigan to open and to be celebrating our 38-year anniversary in 2023. We’ve seen many great changes over those years, and now it’s time for new look and feel throughout the property that will elevate the guest experience,” Kewadin Sault General Manager Dana Schlehuber said.
Kewadin Casinos offers over 2,000 slot machines, 26 table games, hotels, dining, and other amenities at five properties in Michigan’s eastern and central Upper Peninsula. Owned and operated by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Kewadin Casinos
For more information about the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, please visit www.saulttribe.com. For more information about Kewadin Casinos, please visit www.kewadin.com.
MotorCity Casino Owner Marian Ilitch Receives Honorary Degree from Wayne State University
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Marian Ilitch, received an honorary degree from Wayne State University during a ceremony on May 11 that included remarks from Virginia Kleist, dean of the Mike Ilitch School of Business, and WSU President M. Roy Wilson. The university recognized Ilitch’s extraordinary contributions to the revitalization of Detroit, her achievements as a businessperson and her longstanding support of community efforts throughout Michigan.
Ilitch was presented with a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, in Wayne State’s Lear Auditorium inside the Mike Ilitch School of Business at a gathering that included her family, representatives from Ilitch Companies, and members of the Wayne State University Board of Governors, senior leadership, and the Mike Ilitch School of Business. The honorary doctorate is the highest academic recognition the university can confer.
“As a successful businessperson, civic leader and philanthropist, Marian Ilitch is an inspiration not only to our students, but to me personally,” said Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson. “When you look at the enormously positive impact she has had on our community — whether that’s building some of the world’s most popular companies that have, in turn, launched and supported thousands of small businesses around the country, and jobs here in Detroit — Marian is a most worthy recipient of this tribute. Wayne State is fortunate to be a part of her legacy, which will endure for generations.”
Ilitch joins a distinguished lineup of individuals who have received an honorary degree during Wayne State’s 155-year history.
“I am incredibly humbled to receive this honor, especially from President Wilson, who has been a remarkable leader at Wayne State and a tremendous friend to me,” said Marian Ilitch. “As a lifelong learner, I deeply value the opportunities that education provides. I am proud to officially call myself a Wayne State Warrior.”
Ilitch and her late husband, Mike Ilitch, shared a commitment to revitalizing Detroit through investments and support for city-based initiatives to improve lives and create jobs, educational and other opportunities for Detroiters.
“This degree represents Marian Ilitch’s decades of determination, hard work and dedication to Detroit,” said Virginia Kleist, dean of the Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business. “Her strong business acumen and attention to detail, combined with her and her late husband’s shared values, have made a lasting positive change in our community. We are grateful for their longstanding partnership.”
AGA Urges Industry to Submit Nominations for the 34th Annual Gaming Hall of Fame
This week, the American Gaming Association (“AGA”) called for nomination for the Gaming Hall of Fame. The Gaming Hall of Fame has recognized leaders who have made contributions to the gaming industry for over 30 years. The AGA asks industry members to consider nominating a leader that has helped the industry succeed for this highest honor.
Nominees are reviewed by an independent panel of gaming executives who select the annual Hall of Fame class.
Inductees are chosen based upon:
- career achievements
- community involvement
- innovative contributions to the industry
Inductees will be notified and announced in late summer 2023. The 2023 inductees will be honored at the invite-only Chairman’s Reception featuring the Gaming Hall of Fame Ceremony at G2E Las Vegas on October 10, 2023.