Michigan to Legalize Online Gambling and Sports Betting

12.12.2019, 19:07

Online gambling and sports betting might be legalized in Michigan this or the following week with the entire state waiting for one signature. On Wednesday, the newest drafts of the following bills got approved by Senators: daily fantasy sports, online gambling, and sports betting. The day before that, the bills were sent for concurrence to the state’s House of Representatives and received a green light.

After the Governor signs the legislature, the state’s Gaming Control Board will start drafting the needed regulations, approve the casinos’ partners’ gambling technology, and go through gambling license applications of twenty-three tribal gamine venues, and three casinos in Detroit.

According to the legislature, every casino will get to open and run only one betting website. Additionally, each one will have the right to have two differing online brands, according to the online casino and poker legislation. One online brand will be for poker and the other will be for casino games.

Last year, there was a similar situation with everyone waiting for a signature of Governor Rick Snyder. However, Rick vetoed the legislation, surprising the entire state. Since then, the governor has changed. Today’s Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, is believed to be a strong supporter of the bills and Michigan is waiting for online gambling and sports to become a reality.

If the legislation gets passed, Michigan will become the 5th U.S. state permitting online casino gambling. At the moment, 19 states in the U.S. have partially approved sports betting even though only thirteen have legal betting markets launched. Michigan will become the 20th state. Additionally, Michigan is the thirteenth state in the U.S. that provides digital wagering.

For a long time now, the Detroit casinos have been waiting to add sports betting as an option. This can be seen in the fact that MGM Grand Detroit recently opened the Moneyline. It is a sportsbook within its walls that is waiting for the legalization in order to become a betting place. At the moment, it is merely a sports bar but this could change beginning with 2020. It is believed that sports betting should be running early 2020, in March whilst online gambling is envisioned to receive technical approval in autumn 2020.