Online betting increases Michigan revenue — and gambling addiction | Bridge Michigan

Michigan pulled in $354 million in tax revenue from internet gambling in 2023, dwarfing initial estimates of $30 million to $40 million. The online sites are managed by Michigan private and tribal casinos. Most of that online gambling tax revenue goes to bolster the state’s roughly $20 billion School Aid Fund, which funds Michigan’s public schools.

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Caught off-guard by the popularity of online gambling, Michigan is now scrambling to catch up both in addiction research and services, said Marlene Warner, interim executive director of the Michigan Association of Problem Gambling.

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“It feels like they’re out over their skis,” Warner told Bridge Michigan. “They want to figure out how they can set up a safety net. That’s good news, but it’s too bad it didn’t happen beforehand.” 

Michigan is one of six states (the others are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Connecticut and Delaware)  that lets residents bet on poker, blackjack, slot machines and other games on their phones and computers along with betting on sports.

The same easy betting that pads state bank accounts is inflaming problematic gambling for thousands of Michigan residents, said Alia Lucas,  program administrator for gambling disorder prevention and treatment services in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Online gambling “has actually impacted problem gambling significantly in the state,” Lucas said. 

Most who gamble do so in moderation as entertainment, Lucas said, but for some, having gambling available at their fingertips leads to problems.