Online gambling revenue in Michigan was up by over 25 percent last month compared to the month before. The update from the Michigan Gaming Control Board says online gaming providers reported making over $330 million total in January.
Most of that came from the internet gaming, or iGaming,” side of online gambling. The rest came from sports betting.
Henry Williams is executive director of the Michigan Gaming Control Board. In a written statement, he celebrated the strong numbers.
"This milestone underscores the importance of robust regulatory oversight in ensuring a fair and transparent gaming environment," Williams said. "The tax dollars generated from this revenue directly benefit Michigan citizens by funding essential public services and educational initiatives. Our commitment to maintaining the integrity of the gaming industry remains steadfast, and we will continue to work diligently to protect the interests of our state's residents."
The revenue for Michigan’s online betting operators shakes out to a little under $47 million dollars in tax payments made to the state in January. Detroit’s casinos paid about $13 million in taxes from their online operations. Tribal gaming operators paid out around $5 million.
David Forman is vice president of research at the American Gaming Association. He said, based on the numbers, it’ll be a strong year for tax collections in the state.
“We're still going to see strong growth in Michigan, especially in sports betting and iGaming. I think it's just going to probably decline a little bit from the really breakneck pace we’ve seen the past few years. But nothing is going to be taken away from taxpayers or people who receive public services in Michigan,” Forman said.
Taxes from online gaming and sports betting go toward schools, addiction prevention… and local governments, among other areas.
