New Jersey was the spearhead that opened online gambling to the United States. Taking down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, governor Chris Christie officially got the ball rolling in 2012, with the Garden State powering through suits from the major leagues to eventually be heard by the Supreme Court in December 2017. By May 2018, all states could bring in their own online gambling scenes.
The focus was on sports betting due to the legislation being taken down focused on sports. Yet, what nullifying PASPA essentially did was open the door to the whole iGaming scene to states that wished to partake. New Jersey immediately went all-in, being among the first to do so in May 2018. By the end of 2019, the number of states with at least a sports betting scene had reached double digits, with Michigan joining as a fully-fledged iGaming state.
Michigan moving on up
The US gambling industry is overseen by the trade group American Gaming Association, which also provides stacks and stacks of insightful statistics. Among them in a most recent review was the fact that Michigan had become the biggest iGaming industry in the country. It was found that people in Michigan wagered the most on online casino games – such as poker, blackjack, and more – of any state, amounting to $1.92 billion bet in 2023.
Detroit’s bettors were also noted as favoring online gambling (iGaming) over land-based betting. The sheer volume of interest in this area has held the Wolverine State as the largest iGaming market in the country since 2021. Helping this is how competitive the online gambling scene is in Michigan. Top brands battle tooth and nail for Michigan bettors, even to the extent that the bonuses don’t require a deposit.
Anyone can get it now from many leading brands, including a $25 no-deposit bonus, 24 hours of losses back up to $500, and more. The 15 iGaming operators in Michigan saw $191.4 million in gross receipts this July, so it won’t come as a surprise that they’re hefty taxpayers, too. Between them, $36 million was paid in taxes to Michigan in July alone.
New Jersey is a very close second
New Jersey, the US pioneer of iGaming – even Nevada doesn’t yet have an online casino scene – comes up just short of Michigan in the same figures. Both New Jersey and Michigan tied on $1.92 billion in revenue for the iGaming sector. However, zooming in on the exact figures, it turns out that Michigan pipped the Garden State by just $115,500.
Given how close the race is, it’d be fair to say that New Jersey could overtake Michigan atop the standings in 2024. In March 2024, revenue across all gambling bumped up by 8.1 percent to $526.6 million, so there is growth being seen. Crucially, though, Michigan does have a slight population edge. At 10.03 million to 9.262 million in 2022, the Wolverine State likely still has more bettors at hand than New Jersey.
Still, New Jersey’s operators offer many similar bonuses and welcome promotions as those in Michigan, so their slim lead in the iGaming market could be conquered in a strong 2024.