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Sports Illustrated Leaving Michigan Online Casino Market By Q4 2024

Evoke plans to pull Sports Illustrated out of the Michigan online gambling market in Q4 2024, leaving a spot open for another operator.

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Katarina Vojvodic Avatar
2 mins read
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Popular magazine brand Sports Illustrated (SI) will soon be gone from the Michigan online casino market.

With Evoke, formerly 888 Holdings, breaking its contract with the media company in March, there was no chance Sports Illustrated would continue operating in the market.

Evoke told PlayMichigan that it plans to pull Sports Illustrated out of the Michigan gambling market at the end of 2024.

Key takeaways

Evoke is planning to exit Michigan in Q4 2024

An Evoke spokesperson told PlayMichigan:

“We’re currently planning our transition out of Michigan and aiming towards completion in Q4 of this year, subject to regulatory approvals. Until then, we remain very much open for business and committed to delivering fantastic betting and gaming experiences for players in the state.”

After seeing poor revenue results, Evoke realized that Sports Illustrated was not successful. Therefore, Evoke decided to end its Michigan contract with SI.

Sports Illustrated has been at the bottom of MI iGaming revenue

Looking at Michigan online casino revenue, TwinSpires/SI Casino has shown the poorest results since April 2023. The online casino operator couldn’t pass $1.8 million, which peaked in March 2024.

According to the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), SI Casino also produced its lowest output of the year in April. Here’s how it compared to other operators last month:

  1. FanDuel: $50.70 million
  2. BetMGM: $49.80 million
  3. DraftKings: $38.50
  4. BetRivers: $12.45 million
  5. Caesars: $11.29 million
  6. Barstool/Hollywood: $4.60 million
  7. Four Winds: $4.18 million
  8. Soaring Eagle: $4.02 million
  9. PointsBet/Fanatics: $3.25 million
  10. PokerStars: $3.00 million
  11. Golden Nugget: $2.92 million
  12. Play Gun Lake: $2.66 million
  13. WynnBet: $2.33 million
  14. Fire Keepers: $2.02 million
  15. Twin Spires/SI Casino: $1.21 million

According to the MGCB, Michigan operators generated $192.9 million in April, the second-best month ever after March. It also ranked second in iGaming revenue in the US, right after Pennsylvania.

SI’s exit decreases Michigan’s online casino market to 14 operators

Since the MGCB only allows one gambling partner retail casino license, leading to a maximum of 15 online casinos in Michigan, SI’s exit means there will be 14 operators with one spot left to fill.

There are multiple scenarios for what the market would look like and which operator would fill the empty spot.

One possible outcome is Hard Rock becoming the next operator to join the state, as it announced acquiring 888 Holdings’ US assets in March.

While parting ways with SI Casino in Michigan, 888 also cut its SI Sportsbook operations in Michigan, Colorado, and Virginia. 888Casino and 888Poker are also on the verge of closing in New Jersey.

Katarina Vojvodic Avatar
Written by

Katarina Vojvodic is a lead writer for PlayUSA who lives in Toronto. Vojvodic provides coverage of the US gambling industry with a focus on US online casinos. Previously, she covered Ontario’s online gambling industry for PlayCanada.com. Vojvodic holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Belgrade. Outside working hours, she can be found near the water with her husband and their two kids.

View all posts by Katarina Vojvodic

Katarina Vojvodic is a lead writer for PlayUSA who lives in Toronto. Vojvodic provides coverage of the US gambling industry with a focus on US online casinos. Previously, she covered Ontario’s online gambling industry for PlayCanada.com. Vojvodic holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Belgrade. Outside working hours, she can be found near the water with her husband and their two kids.

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