LANSING, Mich. — After weeks of negotiation between industry stakeholders and the governor's office, an agreement has been reached over legalizing sports betting. And the bill could be sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this week.
A state Senate panel passed a package of 10 bills Tuesday that would legalize sports betting and internet gambling.
Whitmer's office said this in a statement: “The governor is pleased with the progress made on gaming over the course of this year, particularly once Senator Hertel and Representative Warren were able to engage and resolve key issues to get this package across the finish line. The governor’s top priority when getting this done was to protect the School Aid Fund, and Senator Hertel and Representative Warren helped make that happen and addressed a number of other concerns she had. 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.”
Michigan online sports betting is already legal when betting on the horses and greyhounds. The Michigan lottery is also legal. Currently there are no laws that permit online casino betting and non-racing sports, like betting on a college football game. But there aren't any laws that outright ban it either.
If this new bill becomes law, iGaming will become legally protected. This includes online casino betting, like poker and slots and non-racing sports including betting in a daily fantasy football league.
Under the proposed law, iGaming will be taxed at 8.4%. The fee for a sports betting license is $100,000 dollars, with an initial $50,000 dollar application fee and to be renewed annually for $50,000 dollars. The majority of tax revenue from the sports betting fund will go to supporting schools, as does about 25% of lottery revenue.
RELATED VIDEO:
Other stories on 13 ON YOUR SIDE:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.