Michigan online sports betting declines for third straight month
By Elyse Apel | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Online sports betting in Michigan has declined for three consecutive months, according to the latest report from the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
In June, Michigan’s commercial and tribal operators reported a combined $341.3 million in gross receipts from internet gaming and online sports betting.
That represented a 10.8% decrease from May. Online sports betting alone saw a 13.4% decline, generating $20.15 million in adjusted gross receipts. Internet gaming, by comparison, reported $289.21 million in adjusted gross receipts, a 1.5% decrease over the same period.
These two forms of gambling have followed opposite trends over the past year.
“iGaming AGR was up 28.0%, while online sports betting AGR decreased by 33.9%,” the board’s report said.
From May to June, the total amount wagered on online sports betting fell 20% to $366.1 million.
Previous months have had similar declines. May’s report showed a 0.7% decrease from April, while April was a 5% decrease from March.
March was the last month to report an increase in the amount wagered on online sports betting, 26.1% increase from February. March’s numbers were likely boosted by March Madness, which is typically one of the biggest periods of the year for sports betting.
While some fluctuations are normal month-to-month in sports betting, there are some more significant year-over-year decreases as well in adjusted gross receipts:
• June - decrease of 33.9%.
• May - decrease of 34.6%.
• April - decrease of 8.7%.
March was the last month with a report of year-over-year increase in online sports betting.
These declines in sports betting come as internet gaming continues to report some of its highest gross receipts on record.
There are likely multiple factors contributing to the recent decline in sports betting in Michigan, including the performance of the state’s professional sports teams.
For example, the Detroit Tigers, among the best teams in baseball in June 2025, have struggled some in 2026. That could potentially reduce betting activity.
On the flip side, the 2026 FIFA World Cup should provide some boost to sports betting in Michigan, with the U.S. national team playing three group-stage matches in June and two in the knockout round in July.
Broader betting market trends could also be having an impact on online sports betting in Michigan.
This drop comes as Michigan regulators continue to work to shut down illegal online gambling sites and prediction markets, which allow users to bet on the outcome of certain events like sports, politics, etc.
Those markets, which are regulated not by states but by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission, have emerged as an alternative to traditional online sports betting. That can pose real challenges for states like Michigan, that tax licensed sportsbooks based on their adjusted gross receipts.
Just in June, Michigan brought in $62.3 million in taxes and payments from internet gaming and online sports betting.
This means if bettors shift from state-regulated and taxed traditional sportsbooks to federally-regulated prediction markets, states could see a decline in taxable sports-betting revenue, even if residents continue wagering on sports.
A 2026 survey from Truist Securities found that prediction markets are increasingly competing for the same customers as traditional sportsbooks.
When respondents were asked which platform offered the best product for online sports wagering and prediction markets, 17% chose Kalshi, a prediction market currently facing legal action from Michigan. That was compared to 20% for DraftKings and 15% for FanDuel, which are both licensed sportsbook operators in Michigan.
Kalshi only began offering sports markets at the start of 2025, meaning this year could see the real impact of prediction markets on Michigan’s 13 commercial and tribal operators authorized to offer online sports betting.
Elyse Apel, a graduate of Hillsdale College, is a reporter for The Center Square covering Minnesota and Michigan. Her work has appeared in a range of national outlets, including the Washington Examiner, The American Spectator, and The Daily Wire.