Michigan Legislators Want to Legalize Online Gambling… Again

Michigan State Representative, Brandt Iden, is making another attempt at legalizing online gambling in the Great Lakes State. Iden has introduced a new bill – H 4926 – that, if adopted, would allow all currently operating casinos in the state to offer online gambling to their customers.

Previous attempts failed, but Iden hopes the latest initiative will be successful.

Certain to Happen, but When?

At the present time, Michigan has three casinos located in the state’s largest city, Detroit, and 20 tribal casinos. Legalizing online gambling in these venues could boost the state’s revenue and have a substantial impact on the whole economy.

After an informal hearing was held last week, Iden said legalization of online gambling was an inevitable process, but he did admit it would take a considerable amount of time to reach the ultimate goal.

For starters, he lacks the support of casino owners, while tribal casinos are against the bill in its current form. On the other hand, MGM released a statement supporting the concept of online gambling, but its position on the whole question is still unknown.

Protecting the Customers and Bringing More Money

Iden and other legislators in favor of the legalization emphasize its importance when it comes to consumer protection. Online gambling is widespread in Michigan, and many don’t even know it’s illegal. Without a proper regulation, the players are left unprotected, open to fraud and deception. The state needs to act as soon as possible, and the only way to offer an adequate protection to players is through the legalization of online casinos.

There’s also the financial aspect of the issue. Legalizing online gambling would increase the taxation and bring much needed influx of capital. Take New Jersey as an example – only four years after iGaming was legalized, the state reached $100 million in tax revenue.

The latest proposition suggests a gross gaming revenue tax of 15%, but this percentage could be adjusted if necessary.

The road to the legalization of online gambling is a long one, with many hardships along the way. It will definitely take a lot of compromises to reach a mutually beneficial decision.