Michigan State iGaming Taxes Topples $50.5 Million in March 2025

Michigan’s digital casinos did more than just hold the line in March. They broke it.
The state pulled in over $260 million from iGaming. That’s not total revenue. That’s just the money left after slicing away the promos and bonuses. The real stuff. The spendable, taxable gold.
All in, online gambling touched $293.5 million. A jump of nearly ten percent from February. And a clear signal that the state’s digital dice, cards, and reels are drawing more action than ever before.
You’ll hear some say that this is just a hot streak. But scroll through SportsbookReview.com and you’ll notice the trend is older than that. They highlight the best promotions and offers for new customers at the best casinos and sportsbooks all over the state.
The Top Dogs at the Table
March crowned a new king — or maybe returned an old one.
BetMGM and MGM Grand Detroit took the top spot with $69 million in gross receipts. That’s the number before any bonuses or incentives get pulled out. After the dust settled, they still held onto $64.8 million.
FanDuel and MotorCity didn’t trail far behind. $68.1 million gross. $64 million net. A razor-thin margin that might flip next month.
DraftKings and the Bay Mills Indian Community rounded out the top three. Their cut? Just over $41 million. After adjustments, it dropped to $38.7 million — still a pile of chips anyone would want.
These numbers aren’t just bragging rights. They’re working numbers. They feed the machine. Because in Michigan, online gambling isn’t a niche — it’s a public fund pipeline.
The Government’s Cut
Tax revenue from iGaming in March hit $50.5 million.
That’s money straight into state coffers. Another $13.1 million went to Detroit. Tribal operators chipped in $6 million to their own governing bodies.
That’s what makes iGaming different. It doesn’t just bring in profit. It shares it. Widely. Efficiently. Quietly.
Walk down Woodward Avenue and you won’t see neon signs announcing a record-breaking iGaming month. But somewhere, a pothole got patched. A school program stayed funded. A local food bank ordered more.
This isn’t the flash of a roulette win. It’s the slow burn of policy working as intended.
Not Everything’s on a Heater
Now, about sports betting.
The numbers tell a softer story. Maybe even a sobering one.
Michigan’s sports betting revenue fell to $33 million. That’s down 21% from the same time last year. And once you factor in the giveaways — the risk-free bets and sign-up promos — the adjusted receipts land at just $14.6 million.
The state only saw $874,000 in taxes from that. Detroit got $281,000.
Yes, players still wagered big. Over $475 million was bet. But the hold — the amount sportsbooks kept — was slim. Less than 7% gross, just 3% net.
The heavy hitters remain the same:
- FanDuel/MotorCity: $14.1 million gross off $179 million in bets.
- DraftKings/Bay Mills: $9.5 million gross on $129 million.
- BetMGM/MGM Grand: $3.9 million from $70 million.
Margins matter. And in sports betting, the margins are getting thinner.
Land-Based Casinos Show Wear
Meanwhile, Detroit’s physical casinos reported revenue of $117.4 million. Not terrible, but down 5.3% compared to last year.
Slots and table games brought in most of it — $116.8 million. But qualified adjusted gross receipts — the cleaned-up number — fell over 64%.
That drop hits hard.
March was up nearly 19% from February. But the year-over-year decline suggests something deeper. Something structural. Maybe people are choosing screens over felt.
MGM still leads the local pack with 46% of market share. MotorCity follows at 31%, and Greektown brings in the rear with 23%.
Combined, the three casinos paid $9.5 million in state gaming taxes. Detroit got nearly $14 million. The state also collected another $21,000 from retail sports betting. It’s a long tail, but still part of the beast.
How We Got Here
Rewind the tape.
Michigan didn’t become a digital gambling powerhouse overnight. This run started decades ago.
In 1996, the state rolled out the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act. It authorized three Detroit casinos — a measured bet, cautious.
Fast-forward to 2019. Governor Whitmer signed off on a package of bills that opened the gates. Legal online sports betting. Legal online casinos. Tribal and commercial licenses. The works.
The first digital sportsbooks launched in January 2021. By mid-2022, Michigan was pulling in more iGaming revenue than most states with double the population.
That wasn’t luck. It was infrastructure. Smart rollout. Solid regulation.
By 2023, mobile platforms had matured. Players could move seamlessly between blackjack, baccarat, and a Michigan Wolverines prop bet, all in the same app. You could spin slots while waiting in line for a coffee. Or bet on a Pistons game while grilling in the backyard.
That’s the difference. Access. Comfort. Control.
The Human Side of the Ledger
These aren’t just numbers in a quarterly report. Their behavior shifts. Habit changes.
A grandmother in Traverse City spins virtual slots on her tablet while sipping tea. A line cook in Kalamazoo places a ten-dollar parlay during a smoke break. A pair of college roommates in Ann Arbor share a FanDuel account, riding the highs and lows of March Madness like it’s a shared religion.
Behind the apps, live dealers are smiling into webcams. Customer service reps are fielding panicked messages about lost passwords or frozen screens.
There are also safeguards.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board keeps a close eye. Self-exclusion programs. Betting limits. Problem gambling hotlines. This isn’t the Wild West. It’s a controlled burn.
And the burn’s been good for business.
Looking Ahead
The pace doesn’t seem to be slowing.
Each month, new titles hit the digital shelves. Games designed for mobile-first play. Some with stories. Some with stakes. All with a purpose.
Live-dealer games get sharper. Faster. More immersive. You’re not just watching a stream — you’re stepping into a broadcast studio masquerading as a casino.
And with major events — NBA playoffs, NFL Draft, and summer tournaments — lurking on the calendar, expect sports betting to snap back.
But the big picture? It still belongs to iGaming.
The numbers speak. The taxes flow. And Michigan, the Great Lakes State, has found gold in the grid.