Last updated on May 6th, 2025 at 08:05 pm
Michigan Bookie Operations continue to enjoy a high sports betting handle rate. Let me tell you, as someone who lives and breathes sports betting, I was absolutely thrilled to see Michigan cross the $20 billion all-time handle mark in February! Even though we saw the expected post-Super Bowl dip, hitting this milestone in just four years since our market opened in 2021 is something I’m genuinely excited about.
I watched the Super Bowl with my betting app open, of course. What a day for wagering! But as I always tell my buddies, once the NFL season wraps up, we hit that seasonal lull that every serious bettor knows all too well.
February’s $388.1 million total handle represents what I’ve come to expect this time of year’s Michigan Bookie Operations. Furthermore it is a 32.5% drop from January’s action and even down 6.7% from last February. The broader market seems to be cooling off a bit, but that doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm.
What really caught my eye was the 12.1% hold rate operators enjoyed. As someone who’s been on both ends of these swings, I know this means Michigan sportsbooks had a solid month despite the lower overall betting volume. They pulled in $46.8 million in revenue, which might be down 45.3% from January, but impressively up 53.9% year-over-year. Some books must have cleaned up on those Super Bowl prop bets
Michigan Bookie Operations Number in February
- $388.1 million total handle ($379.9 million online)
- $46.8 million revenue ($46.0 million online)
- 12.1% hold (down from 14.9% last month)
- $2.2 million in taxes contributed to our state and local economies
I’m not surprised to see FanDuel dominating again—they’re always my go-to app. They led with $146.0 million in handle and $24.3 million in revenue. Their promos and parlays keep me coming back! Then again, these bookie operations have really been hitting it hard with their advertisement with many of them going all out with their Full Line of Advertising and Online Marketing Services. In fact, it’s been pretty much impossible to miss any of their ads on TV and other sports streaming platforms.
This post-football doldrums is something I prepare for every year. We’ll get a nice boost with March Madness—I’m already setting aside my betting budget for those brackets! With Michigan State and Michigan looking strong, I’m expecting some serious hometown action on those games.
The real desert comes between April and August. Last July hit a low of $256.8 million in handle, and I’m expecting we might go even lower this summer. But that’s all part of the yearly betting cycle for those of us who follow this market closely. I’ll be counting the days until college football kicks off again in late August!
Comparing the Michigan Sports Betting Handle to August 2021
Back August 2021. Michigan sportsbooks have a total sports betting handle of $208.6 million in wagers. This is a 1.1% increase from July’s total sports betting handle of $206.3 million. For those learning how to become a bookie, take a look at the breakdown of numbers to see that online sportsbooks are the primary preferred platform by sports bettors.
The total sports betting handle of online sportsbooks in the state are at $192.3 million. This is 2.3% higher than the previous month of $188 million. This is the second month that Michigan has an online handle that is less than $200 million since its launch back in January. Online sports betting in Michigan only started this year.
Michigan Bookie Operations
As for retail sportsbooks, the Michigan Sports Betting Handle was at $16.3 million, 10.9% lower than July’s. Sportsbook pay per head operators tend to get more action due to the convenience of online sportsbooks, especially now that the pandemic means less access to retail stores. Meanwhile, the total adjusted sports betting gross gaming revenue, or GGR is at $9.2 million. $7.5 million of the GGR comes from online sports betting, while $1.7 million comes from retail betting. This is 32.5% lower than July’s $13.6 million.
The numbers, however, are expected to rise as football season starts in September. With so many games available this month, Michigan sportsbooks are bound to take in a lot more action on sportsbooks. In addition, September is also an exciting month for the MLB, as the regular season will be at its peak, and gearing up to the postseason on October. It would not come as a surprise to many in the industry if Michigan breaches the $200 million mark in handle again. If you are interested in getting into sports betting, here are some bookie pay per head reviews to help you find good bookie software.