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Record Revenue, MGCB Taking Action Highlight The Last Year In Michigan Online Casinos
By Drew Ellis
Published:
The year 2025 was another notable one for the Michigan online casino scene.
It was a record year of revenue online, while state regulators continued to put the crack down on illegal operations.
Mix in a new online casino entering the scene, and record-setting jackpots, there’s plenty to recap from what happened in a memorable year.
Michigan Shatters iGaming Revenue Record
There’s no denying that 2025 was a big success for online casinos in the state.
Strong numbers throughout the year were capped off by a record $315.8 million in December, a new monthly record by over $37 million.
That ultimately pushed Michigan online casino revenue to $3.09 billion for all of 2025, which was a 26.4% increase from the $2.44 billion the state did in 2024.
The revenue record also led to new records in tax revenue for the state. A total of $597.5 million was collected for state funds, while another $224.5 million was collected for city/local funding.
Hard Rock Bet Launches to Record
Michigan got a new online casino to start December when Hard Rock Bet officially took over the available license from the Hannahville Indian Community after SI Casino left the industry.
Hard Rock got the green flag on Dec. 2 and it opened the best revenue debut in Michigan’s history.
For December, Hard Rock Casino recorded $35.7 million, which immediately landed it fourth amongst the state operators in December.
Prior to Hard Rock, the best operator debut was BetMGM Casino in February 2021, when it recorded $26.9 million in revenue.
Hard Rock’s debut helped propel Michigan to that massive monthly revenue record in December.
DraftKings Gives Out Largest Online Jackpot
Michigan got the spotlight twice in 2025 for giving away the largest online casino jackpot in US history.
The first instance came in February, when a lucky resident won $9.28 million while making a $0.20 play on the online slot Irish Pot Luck.
That record didn’t last long, as in late November, another Michigan resident took home a $22.4 million jackpot on a $0.20 wager on Huff N’ Even More Puff.
In both cases, these jackpots came on DraftKings Casino MI.
MGCB Takes Hard Stand Against Illegal Gambling
The Michigan Gaming Control Board made it clear how it was going to approach illegal gambling in the state in 2025.
Hundreds of illegal online operators received cease-and-desist letters from the board, forcing their way out of Michigan.
Overall, the MGCB has issued these letters to hundreds of different operations. Michigan was one of the first states to take action against popular offshore casinos like Bovada and BetOnline.
The MGCB has also put a lot of focus on sweepstakes and social casinos. Any type of online gambling that isn’t licensed and regulated in the state is going to eventually hear from the MGCB.
Prediction markets are a growing trend around the US, but the MGCB has also taken a stand against them. The board threatened any currently licensed operator that they could jeopardize their standing in Michigan by offering prediction markets for sports in other states.
Drew Ellis has experience covering the gambling industries in North America and around the world. Decades of media experience provide him with the background to handle the complexities of different gambling laws and policies around the United States and North America. Ellis has primarily focused on online and retail casino news since 2021. Prior to working in the gambling industry, Ellis spent over 20 years in the newspaper industry, covering sports and the gambling. His work for The Mt. Pleasant Morning Sun and The Oakland Press was recognized with awards by the Associated Press and other media organizations. Drew has also contributed to the Detroit Free Press and the Associated Press.