LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — If you’ve been in Michigan for more than 15 minutes, you know folks love to gamble — and for the state, that is paying off big time.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer initially opposed the legalization of online sports betting and casinos, she eventually signed off and now she is glad.
Because Michigan raked in $151 million in gaming revenue last June — the highest in the nation; up some 24% from just a year ago.
That figure is significant in that back in September 2019, when Brandt Iden was pushing the proposal, he predicted $151 million or so would be the gross for the year, not one month.
Iden, now a vice president with an internet gaming company, is elated that he was wrong and the numbers prove it.
He explains that internet casinos are doing much better than sports betting, which has increased by 8% — compared to a 24% increase of internet casinos where table games and slots are humming along.
But as more players bet from the comfort of their homes, foot traffic at the big three casinos in Detroit is down but those losses are offset by a 21% revenue gain from the internet.
Iden claims that Michigan is even doing better than the state of Nevada on internet gaming. Who would’ve thought that three years ago when the governor was having second thoughts?
