Sports bettors and online gamblers in Michigan may end the year on a very high note as the state is on track to legalize online gambling and sports betting. Michigan’s legislature is set to finish up on an extensive package that will significantly change Michigan’s gambling landscape.
This path to the possible legalization of sports betting and online gambling in the state officially kicked off on December 11, 2019, when the Senate approved the legislation. The Michigan Senate was able to pass a number of amended gambling-related bills with wide bipartisan support after which the legislation was moved to the House which also began the process of approving the legislation.
Now, the legislation has been sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer who will then sign it into law. So far, there is a lot of optimism that it will pass since, as it turns out, the governor has been very pleased with the progress made on the gaming sector over the past year. Many of the amendments that were done to the legislation had addressed the initial concerns that she had regarding online gambling and sports betting in the state.
“This is a good, bipartisan solution made possible by working together on a complex issue, and the governor looks forward to closely reviewing this package once it hits her desk,” Governor Whitmer’s spokeswoman Tiffany Brown wrote in an email.
What to Expect
As mentioned above, the legislation is primarily concerned with sports betting and online gambling. However, to be more specific, some of the variants that are likely to come to Pennsylvania include online casino-style games, online sports betting, horse racing, and fantasy contests.
The state’s legislators also approved the proposed tax bracket for both online gambling and sports betting. Online gambling operators will be subject to a tax rate of between 20 percent and 28 percent while sportsbooks will be taxed at 8.4 percent. Daily fantasy sports, which are also included in the legislation will also be regulated and taxed. The tax revenue will be channeled towards funding schools and social programs.
According to the bill, the sports betting and online gambling licenses will be awarded to Native American tribes that have gambling business or the already licensed casino operators in the state. Sports betting operators will be allowed to offer both retail betting as well as online and mobile betting options. If all goes well, Michigan will become the 19th state to legalize and regulate sports betting since the United States Supreme Court abolished PASPA in May 2018.
