Online Gambling Legalized in Michigan
When was online gambling legalized in Michigan? The state started off as a horse-racing state and has since moved into casino and slot games. The state’s legislature approved online gambling in January 2021, so the question of when was online gambling legal in Michigan remains open. Here’s a look at the history of the industry in the state. It all began in 1933 with horse racing. Then in the early 2000s, Michigan made online gambling legal in all but a few towns.
In the year that online gambling in Michigan was first legalized, lawmakers worked with new Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer to make it as easy as possible for residents to participate. Michigan’s lottery generates billions of dollars for the state’s education system, so lawmakers took a methodical approach to legalizing these forms of online gambling. Soon, Michigan will have commercial casinos, Native American casinos, online poker, and regulated daily fantasy games.
A bill aimed at legalizing online casino gambling in Michigan passed the House and Senate on December 14, 2018. It was not a unanimous vote, however, because three Republicans opposed the bill. The Republicans’ objections to the sports betting bill stemmed from concerns over the potential impact of online gambling on problem gamblers and children. However, the bill had the support of Detroit casinos, which pushed it through the House Regulatory Reform Committee in December.
When Was Online Gambling Legalized in Michigan?
Before the state’s lawmakers passed the law allowing for online casino and sports betting, they held a public hearing on the proposed new regulation. Then, they approved an interstate poker bill. After the public hearing, the MGCB awarded provisional online wagering licenses to 15 providers. The online sportsbooks will launch mid-January 2021. The state’s iGaming market will be huge, so the question is when was online gambling legalized in Michigan?
Michigan lawmakers legalized online casino and sports betting in December, but did not legalize daily fantasy sports or online gambling until Jan. 22, 2021. Michigan lawmakers approved HB 4311 to legalize online casinos and sports betting, which was signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Dec. 20, 2019. The casino and poker industry is expected to open by January 2021, although it is not entirely clear when the online casinos will go live.
While there are no online casinos in Michigan, several sites offer daily fantasy games and are operated by several different companies. The Golden Nugget, for example, operates a sportsbook in Michigan. It also operates a casino in New Jersey and a restaurant and sports book in Virginia and West Virginia. Several other sites have jumped on the online casino bandwagon, so if you’re a Michigan resident, it’s time to start playing in the state.
The state’s online gaming laws do not cover Daily Fantasy Sports, but there are a few interesting exceptions. One of them is poker. Michigan has over 30 live poker rooms and hosts dozens of tournaments each month. The majority of these venues are located in Detroit, but a handful can be found in the Upper Peninsula. But until those sites are sued, the state’s gambling industry will continue to thrive.