Michigan Online Poker Industry Hits #1 in USA

Michigan has become the biggest US regulated online poker network — quickly, at that.

Online poker launched in Michigan on January 29, 2021, and is the 5^th state in the US to introduce legal online poker.

Despite being live for just two weeks, this has launched the state to the top of the US gambling and poker industry. PokerStars is the main operator in the state, and have about a 7-day average of 500 players in cash games. Cash games are typically used to measure & gauge success in the online poker space.

PokerStars, is well, a star

PokerStars is on a roll — the operator reigns supreme when it comes to online poker in the US right now, bringing in 400 players in its first week, with just five more players than PokerStars Pennsylvania, and 270 more players than PokerStars New Jersey. Although New Jersey’s sports betting numbers are rising, they don’t compare to the momentous climb of Michigan’s players.

Some of this can be attributed to their population, as Michigan has the 10^th largest population in the US, which is certainly contributing to PokerStars Michigan being the 15^th largest online poker room in the world.

Michigan Poker Revenue

Some people also think the large influx of players and cash games is simply because the introduction of legalized online poker in the state is new, and a more realistic look at poker site traffic will emerge in the coming months.

Although, if states like Delaware are any indication, Michigan might see this success rise for awhile, yet — legalized in 2013, 2021 saw a huge revenue boost for the state, bringing in $39,632.77 in poker-rake fees versus $31,279.77 the previous year.

When it comes to revenue, Michigan brought in approximately $4.3 million in taxes from casino and poker sites, with $110,000 brought in from online sports betting. The reason for the revenue disparity is the tax rate for each activity, with sportsbooks taxed at 8.4% and online gambling sites are taxed on a sliding scale, between