The Michigan Gaming Control Board reported mobile gross sports betting revenue totaling $30.5 million for February on Tuesday, with the overall total slightly below that due to a six-figure loss from Detroit’s three retail sportsbooks.
The overall gross revenue of $30.4 million was up 31.2% from February 2023, with the $415.8 million handle from both in-person wagering and sports betting apps up 16.4% year-over-year.
Handle was also down 30.9% from January’s total of $601.6 million — the second-highest total in 44 months of wagering in the Wolverine State. The statewide hold was 7.3%, with the win rate from mobile betting reaching 7.6%.
An aggressive promotional spend by operators that comes every February with the Super Bowl resulted in a notable reduction in adjusted gross revenue. The $12.8 million in taxable revenue was 42.1% of the gross revenue, the second straight month AGR was less than 45% of gross revenue. February AGR, however, was up 43.4% from 12 months prior.
The state received $927,225 in tax receipts, while the city of Detroit saw an inflow of $362,654 into its coffers. The $2.3 million in state taxes through the first two months of 2024 is $485,000 ahead of last year’s pace.
FanDuel and DraftKings accounted for more than 75% of the gross revenue in February, but it also marked the first time both online titans could not attain a 10% hold in the same month since November.
FanDuel paced the 14 mobile sportsbooks with $13.9 million in gross winnings, fashioning a 9.1% hold against a $152.4 million handle. DraftKings edged into eight figures at $10.1 million, while its win rate was slightly higher at 9.2% from $109.9 million worth of wagers.
DraftKings’ revenue total for February was enough to lift its all-time winnings in Michigan above $250 million. FanDuel, meanwhile, is $12.1 million shy of double that amount.
While ESPN BET had a better month in winnings for February than January — gross revenue was up 74% to nearly $2 million as its 6.5% hold was up 4.3 percentage points — handle plunged 41.7% to $30.4 million. The PENN Entertainment-owned mobile book had its smallest monthly adjusted gross revenue deficit since succeeding Barstool Sportsbook in mid-November, finishing $36,000 in the red.
ESPN BET has a total AGR of minus-$15.3 million since entering Michigan, and February’s handle was 7.6% of mobile wagering — above its 7% target for the first year of business.
BetMGM had a 6.2% win rate to claim $3.6 million in gross revenue from $58.7 million in handle. Caesars finished fifth in handle at $26.3 million but only eked out a small win by coming out $65,000 ahead while posting a 0.3% hold.
The combination of Fanatics Sportsbook and PointsBet achieved a $9.3 million handle and posted a collective 4.7% hold to make $436,100 in gross revenue. Fanatics Sportsbook launched operations in the Wolverine State on Feb. 21 following the completion and state approval of its platform migration from PointsBet.
BetRivers fared slightly better with slightly less handle, attaining a 6% win rate on $8.2 million worth of wagers to keep $493,600.
SI Sportsbook took its first monthly loss since entering Michigan in August 2022, as bettors came out $4,281 ahead on $1.9 million in handle. Firekeepers Casino suffered the biggest mobile loss of February, with the public winning $76,800 on top of $1.5 million worth of wagers and was the only other online book to have losses for gross revenue in February.
Five mobile books — ESPN BET, Caesars, Fanatics Sportsbook, betPARX, and Soaring Eagle — finished with negative AGR for the month and did not pay any state taxes. Of that quintet, Caesars had the largest deficit at minus-$333,500, followed by Fanatics Sportsbook/PointsBet at minus-$293,300.