Why Michigan's Online Casino Market Could be a Perfect Case Study for Illinois
Sports betting is legal in both Michigan and Illinois. Online casinos are not legal, but Illinois has recorded a much higher betting handle ($14.17B) than the Great Lake States ($6.8B). Michigan hit a $1 billion revenue in its first full year of legalizing mobile betting in 2021. Illinois took slightly more than a year to reach the same mark.
Michigan legalized online casinos in January 2021. The sector is one of the biggest contributors to the state's gambling income. Sports betting brought in $292.2 million in Illinois. Illinois joined Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania as the only states to have generated more than $1 billion in operator revenue since PASPA was struck off.
Players Love MI Online Casinos. The operators encrypt players’ data using world-class encryption techniques like SSL. They offer a wide range of account protection tools, from passwords to 2-Factor Authentication. Similar to Las Vegas, MI casino sites are armed with hundreds of slot machines and table games. You can play some of these games with your friends through live casino software.
Illinois legalized sports betting and legalized online casinos. Few people use offshore casinos in Michigan now. The biggest difference between US-based and foreign casinos is safety. Some of offshore operators are great, but most of them can't be trusted. If they scam you, there's nothing you can do about it.
Illinois is yet to legalize online casinos. New Jersey studies show that mobile casinos encourage people to visit land-based casinos, which is also happening in Michigan. People who've always enjoyed physical casinos still drive to MGM Grand Detroit, Greektown Casino, and Motor City Casino.
Illinois and Michigan have nearly the same income and population levels. Illinois has 2 million more people than Michigan. Michigan has been generating more tax income compared to Illinois. In 2021, Michigan generated $249 million in taxes from the online gambling industry. If Illinois were to legalize casino sites, it could overtake Michigan with ease.
Illinois is one of the best-performing betting markets in the country. Illinois is expected to overtake Pennsylvania in terms of total betting handle in 2023. Michigan achieved over $1 billion in gambling revenues within one year.