It’s the fifth consecutive month the record has been broken, according to PlayMichigan, which tracks gambling data and developments in the state.
Online sportsbooks, once again, took the majority share of handle, with $496.8m coming through digital betting options in January. This represents an increase of 2.5% compared to December.
Retail sportsbooks also attracted a greater handle across the month, with in-person sports wagers hitting $36.6m. Overall, a total handle of $532.7m represents a 3.5% increase compared to December.
Matt Schoch, Lead Analyst, PlayMichigan.com, commented: “Momentum in Michigan for online sports betting and casino games continues to grow. Spring is coming, which means a seasonal slowdown in sports betting. But the fall and winter have proven that Michiganders are increasingly comfortable with online gaming in its various forms.”
In terms of revenue, Michigan’s sportsbooks accumulated gross revenue of $35.9m in January, of which online and mobile contributed $34.7m. In total, $2.1m was paid to the state in the form of taxes.
Eric Ramsey, Analyst, PlayUSA.com Network, said: “The extra week of regular season football was a boon for sportsbooks, giving them five full weekends of football in January.
“As the only state with five consecutive months of record wagering, no state has capitalised on this football season more than Michigan.”
Indeed, sportsbooks benefitted from a more packed schedule than bettors are used to in January. Alongside an extra weekend of regular NFL games, there was an expanded playoff schedule and college football’s national championship fixture.
In terms of individual operators, FanDuel was the number one in terms of online handle, attracting wagers amounting to $132.7m. DraftKings followed with $132m, while BetMGM accepted $110.9m in online bets.
