Michigan Online Poker Legalization Has Great Chances For 2016, Lawmaker's Office SaysLegislative Director: 'Don’t See Why It Wouldn’t Go Through This Year' |
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The bill in Michigan that would legalize and establish regulation for online casino games is expected to become law this year, Card Player was told by the office of Michigan Sen. Mike Kowall, sponsor of the legislation.
Dave Biswas, chief of staff and legislative director for Sen. Kowall, said that there should be one more hearing within “the next few weeks” in the Senate’s Regulatory Reform Committee, and it should move on to the Senate floor. It would like remain there for a week or so before moving on to the House for consideration, he said.
The bill had a hearing early this month, but there wasn’t a vote on the proposal. Biswas said there are a “couple of technical changes” to be made to the bill.
“I don’t see why [the bill] wouldn’t go through this year,” Biswas said.
Michigan’s legislative session goes until December, giving lawmakers ample time to legalize online poker for real money, according to Biswas.
The motivation for the legislation is simple, according to Biswas. It would establish consumer protection, generate tax revenue and create jobs. Kowall said in the hearing that roughly 22,000 new jobs could come from regulated online gaming.
The bill calls for a 10-percent tax on Internet gaming win.
A big benefit to Michigan’s situation is that tribes with casino gaming were upset with the state’s online lottery, Biswas said, so the Internet casino games bill would equal things out. Only tribal and commercial casino operators could run online casinos.
The games could provide a boost for Detroit’s commercial casinos, which won $1.37 billion from gamblers in 2015. That was only about $40 million more than 2014 and still less than was collected from 2010-2012.
Michigan has about a million more people than New Jersey, however the median household income in Michigan is significantly less. The Garden State’s online casinos generated nearly $150 million in revenue last year, which was more than 90 percent of the U.S. total.
It was said during the hearing that Michigan has been studying online casino gaming for the past three years. The state decided to go with the online lottery first, kicking off those games in 2014.
If Michigan legalizes online gaming this year, it would be the first state to do so since 2013. California has tried for the past nine years without success.
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