Updated Online Gambling Legislation Ready to Pass in Michigan

Online gambling in America continues to be a work in progress. It's a work in progress because innovation keeps moving the online gambling goalposts forward by leaps and bounds. To the state's credit, Michigan has decided that new related gambling legislation is necessary to stay up with industry changes and make sure gamblers have the protections they deserve.

Surprisingly, Michigan has one of the most robust gambling communities in the U.S. The community is getting massive support from millions of residents who have shown their support for having the right to participate in online gambling activities. In line with resident expectations, both the Michigan Senate and the House have passed new bills that reinforce current legislation and offer necessary changes. These bills are now headed to the desk of Governor Gretchen Whitmer for signature.

What's in the Four New Online Gambling Bills?

There are a total of four new online gambling bills headed to the Goernor's desk. They cover the following four areas:

- Online Casino Gaming - The bill updates the range of online casino games that can be offered. Online casinos would be allowed to offer access to online poker and more slot variations. A new Internet Gaming Fund would be established by this bill.

- Online Sports Betting - The new bill reinforces current laws, including the need to enforce the minimum online sports betting age of 21 years old. The new bill also opens the door for more related tax revenue to be used for the newly established Internet Gaming fund and city projects for major cities.

- Daily Fantasy Sports and Online Fantasy Sports Leagues - This new legislation will open the door for more non-casino operators to offer Daily Fantasy Sports platforms. The legislation would also establish more robust legal protections via a new Fantasy Contests Consumer Protection Act. Note: Michigan residents can create "private" fantasy leagues without licensing if the leagues have fewer than 15 participants and offer less than $10K in cash prizes.

- Online Horse Race Betting - The new rules would create a way for "third-party facilitators" to start offering electronic bets on the outcome of horse races in the U.S. and from other parts of the world.

Creating a More Friendly Online Gambling Environment in Michigan

None of this legislation is being created in a vacuum. Legislators are acutely aware that the state is sitting on a goldmine in terms of pulling in tax revenue from online gambling activities. With that being the case, they are stepping forward now to bolster current laws to ensure online gamblers have a proper online gambling environment in which they can gamble.

Given the success of the online gambling community in Michigan, the state is quickly becoming the model for other states to use as they establish their online gambling rules and regulations. The state has done a great job of promoting iGaming options while making sure that gamblers and operators are always being treated properly.

Governor Whitmer is expected to sign these pieces of legislation without delay.