By
Mike J. Davies
Editor in Chief at Casinos.US Updated: 01/26/2020
Mike is our Senior Editor and experienced gambling strategist. A former hockey player, he transitioned to the casino industry after finishing his B.A. in English. Blackjack systems, online casino guides, gambling terms, and more – Mike is familiar with all fine points of gambling.
The approved Michigan online gambling bill will take a year to become active, Photo by Unsplash
There are some good news and some not-so-good news for Michigan gamblers. The good news is that lawmakers have approved sports betting, online casinos, and online poker. The bill legalizes all forms of online gambling and in-person sports betting. The not-so-good news is that gamblers will have to wait till 2021 to participate in these activities.
According to Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) Communications Specialist and spokesperson, Mary Kay Bean, the required regulatory process would take time to complete. This will delay the launch by at least a year. The timeline is based on the amount of time it has taken to develop rule sets in the past.
Regulators have targeted 2021 to complete the rules that will govern the online gambling space in Michigan. Once the rules are finalized, the licensing process will begin, and operators will be able to launch their products.
While some states have gone ahead and expedited the regulatory timelines by finding new ways to accelerate the licensing and rulemaking processes, Michigan will continue to follow the regular rule process. There is a good reason for this decision. By following the regular timeline, stakeholders and the public will have an opportunity to provide their input. According to Bean,
all these elements are missed when emergency rules are approved.
Bean said that retail sports betting regulations would come sooner, and the priority was to get in-person sports betting up and going. The first in-person sports betting is expected to be in operation at all Detroit casinos as early as spring. Sports betters and casinos alike are hoping that in-person sports betting will be launched in time for the men’s college basket tournament.
Lawmakers are completely aware that the delay in going online will also mean a delay in revenue and tax benefits for the state. However, speaking to The Detroit News, R-Oshtemo Township Rep. Brandt Iden said that in-person sports betting would be better from the standpoint of getting players interested and protecting consumers.
Bean has hinted to Online Poker Report that the online approval process for each online vertical will move forward at the same pace as the approval process for in-person sports betting. That means that all internet gaming sites will be able to go live simultaneously or around the same time. This is good news for poker players who often have to contend taking a back seat to sports betting. That has been the case with gaming expansion across the United States.
In 2018, Rick Snyder, former Michigan Governor, declined an online gambling bill. He cited fears that there was a chance of internet gaming revenue cannibalizing business from land-based casinos and the state lottery. He claimed he didn’t want to push gamblers away from the lottery as that was the main source of funding for the state’s school system.
Current Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the new bill in December. She did have the same concerns as her predecessor, but she signed the bill after compromises were made to ensure online lottery sales were protected in Michigan. She was able to work with Michigan’s lawmakers at the very last minute and create a tax structure that she thought was favorable.
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