Tag: Michigan

Michigan to Get Online Casinos and Sportsbooks by the End of 2020

Posted on by Grant Mahon

On Wednesday, December 1, the Michigan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) approved the regulations proposed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB). The regulations in question are meant to regulate online casinos, sportsbooks, and daily fantasy sports (DFS) platforms in Michigan.

As a result, Michigan bettors are going to be able to bet and gamble online as soon as land-based casinos launch their web-based platforms. That’s something that’s expected to happen by the end of the year.

Everyone seems to be cheering for this to happen as soon as possible. The reason is that Michigan’s land-based casinos have been closed due to COVID-19 regulations. As per Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) orders, casinos will remain shut down until at least December 9.

Three Detroit Casinos to Go Online

In Q2, the three land-based commercial casinos in Detroit – MGM Grand, Greektown Casino, and MotorCity Casino Hotel – reported a gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $0.

Over summer, they rebounded, albeit only slightly. Then, in November, COVID-19 came back with a vengeance, with the number of new cases going above 16k near the end of the month. That prompted Governor to put the state in another lockdown.

As a result, Detroit’s casinos are suffering again. However, their suffering might come to an end by the end of December. The thing is that they are given the green light to launch their online casino and sportsbook apps.

In order to be allowed to do that, the three casinos need to team up with providers of online gaming software. This is why we’ve seen the creation of some new partnerships in Michigan’s casino landscape.

MotorCityCasino & FanDuel

MotorCity Casino Hotel formed a partnership with FanDuel, which is going to result in an all-in-one platform, allowing the players to bet, play casino games, and take part in daily fantasy sports, using a single account.

According to FanDuel, the sportsbook/online casino will launch soon, with the launch date still not being released. However, the operator has already started accepting registrations from users based in Michigan. Those who do it will receive $100 worth of free bets ($50 for casino and $50 for sportsbook) to use up once the platform goes online.

Greektown Casino & IGT & Barstool

Greektown Casino is going online with the help of IGT and Barstool. The role of IGT is to power Greektown’s online casino, while Barstool will provide sportsbook solutions.

MGM Grand Detroit & BetMGM

MGG Grand Detroit and BetMGM are both owned by the same company, hence it’s no surprise they’re working together on launching a Michigan online casino and sportsbook.

Once these three online casinos launch, Michigan is going to become only the fifth state in the US where this gaming activity is legal and licensed. At the moment, the states where online casinos are permitted are New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

When it comes to online sportsbooks, there are nine when this activity is legal, but that number is going up in the near future. It’s because, in November, Americans voted to liberalize gaming laws in several US states.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Michigan Sports Betting Bill Passed into Law December 20

Posted on by Kat Orlov

Online sports betting bill was officially passed into last Friday, December 20 after governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the bill. As a result three commercial and 23 native american casinos are now legally allowed to offer sports betting at their premises as well as online, pending licensure.

The New Law Legalizes iGaming, Internet Casinos and Fantasy Sports

Under the new law, Michigan will not only provide sports betting companies that will come to operate in the state in the future with licenses but also will legalize those who already have casino licenses including the tribes who have already been running their casinos.

Before betting begins, however, state regulators still have to provide strict requirements regarding offering sports betting in the state.

Michigan went a bumpy road before approving the sports betting legalization thus joining the group of the 20 states in the country offering legal sports betting.

Yet, it is important to note that the legislative commission in Michigan wouldn’t have come up with such a positive outcome for the gambling industry if the bill’s supporters haven’t changed a big part of the bills and arguments in it to. The package of regulations that was signed by governor Gretchen Whitmer includes Internet casino gambling, online poker and daily fantasy sports.

Rep. Brandt Iden, the bills’ the main sponsor who has been working on amending Michigan gambling laws for quite a long time stated that he was extremely happy that Michigan has finally modernized its gaming.

Gambling Profits to be Invested in Education

For her part, governor Whitmer said that her top priority when signing the legislation was to protect and ensure the investment of the future profits in the School Aid Fund, because according to her the students deserve leaders who treat their education as a priority.

She expressed her gratitude for the hard work and leadership of Sen. Hertel and Rep. Elizabeth Warren. She stressed one more time that the profits from gambling are going to be invested in education.

Whitmer was one of the supporters of legalizing sports betting claiming that iGaming activities needs to be regulated in the state.

In June she lobbied for a 15-percent tax and 1-million license fee. However the bill she signed is for 50,000-dollar sport betting fee for a first-time application, $100,000 for obtaining license and $50,000 per year to be paid to the state. There will also be a tax of 8.4% on adjusted gross sports betting receipts as commercial casinos might have to pay an extra city tax of 1.25% to Detroit.

Now everybody is waiting to see how long it will take to Michigan to have the regulations up and running. According to Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr. the regulations will probably become operational until March Madness.

Kat Orlov

Newcomer Kat is our newcomer poker aficionado whos skill not only lives on the table but flourishes on the site as through her many sources she never fails to be the first to hear of any important or exciting poker news around the world.

Mike Kowall Confident about Online Gambling in Michigan

Posted on by Sophia Rojas
  • Former Michigan Senator Mike Kowall says Rick Snyder’s roadblock not an issue
  • Michigan will see online gambling legalized thanks to a broad bipartisan coalition
  • Legalizing the industry will benefit the state financially and help with customer protection, Kowall estimates

In a recent opinion piece published at Detroit News, former Michigan Senator Mike Kowall expresses his firm believe that online gambling is coming to the state, despite opposition from lawmakers.

Michigan and Its Legal Fight for Legal Online Gambling

Former Michigan Senator Mike Kowall has been one of the staunchest proponents of sports betting and online gaming. He has been one of the public figures to openly state that gambling will one day be available in Michigan, come what may. His most recent op-piece in the Detroit News is affirmation of that key tenet.

Michigan saw a bill passed by its legislative body at the end of 2018, with the outgoing Senator Rick Snyder vetoing the measure, citing the rushed process as the main reason and explaining that more time would be needed to fully explore and study the text of the bill.

Michigan Governor to Sign and Legalize Poker, Gambling

In particular, Snyder refused to sign a number of documents that were intended at giving the online gambling industry a flying start, including House Bills 4927, 4927, and 4928. All of these documents were cleared by both the Michigan House and Senate with a good majority at the very end of 2018, giving everyone reason to hope that the state will indeed see poker and casino games arrive online before the year was out.

While both parties were disappointed by last week’s veto of the online gaming bill, in the coming year my colleagues that are still serving look forward to working with Whitmer to push it over the finish line once and for all.

The senator’s decision has been upsetting, but according to Kowall, it would not affect the long-term prospects of online gambling in Michigan in the slightest. He cited the broad coalition of Democrats and Republicans now working on the legalization of the industry, explaining that Snyder’s decision was a mistake.

One of the main reasons is the bipartisan support that the bill has received by both Republicans and Democrats. Kowall also expressed his conviction that a legalized industry can only benefit the state financially:

It will become an economic blessing, not a liability, for the city of Detroit, if only the incoming governor gives it a chance to succeed.

Kowall has also spoke about the level of consumer protection that can be achieved should the bill is given a shot. Presently, Michigan gamers go to unregulated offshore websites that have a reputation for notorious frauds. By introducing the industry to the state and tasking credible and accountable casinos and bookmakers with running the operations, Kowall believes that a better consumer protection can be achieve.

He also explained that the veto was disappointing to members of both parties who have put their differences aside to see the legislation through.

Sophia Rojas

Growing up around law firms, Sophia keeps our team of reporters atop any legislative developments to follow up with a welcomed dose of positive news as our house trivia nut!

Michigan Governor to Sign and Legalize Poker, Gambling

Posted on by Kat Orlov
  • Michigan awaits the approval of Governor Rick Snyder to sign House Bill 4926 into law
  • The state will see 8% tax on the gross gaming revenue
  • Operators will pay $200,000 for five-year license
  • Michigan is most likely going to pool its prize pools with the four other states where gambling is legal

Michigan lawmakers have agreed to push ahead with the legalization of online gambling in the state. House Bill 4926 managed to clear the House after it had been amended by the Senate one last time, clearing the floor in the small hours of the morning.

Michigan Clears House Bill 4926, Online Gambling Follows

Earlier in December, Michigan saw House Bill 4926 dropped in the Senate for the first time, spearheaded by Brandt Iden, and championed by Senator Mike Kowall whose stint is nearly over. Not many people expected that the Senate would actually get to the point where they were ready to act. Even less so, nobody thought that the House would actually pass a quick vote before 2019. But they did, defying all expectations.

DOJ Could Consider Flip-Flopping on Its 2011 Decision

And now that the Senate and the House of Representatives of Michigan have both cleared the bill, all that is necessary is for Governor Rick Snyder to step up and put his signature on the document. When he does, Michigan will be joining four other states in offering poker, sports betting, and casino games online:

  • New Jersey
  • Nevada
  • Delaware
  • Pennsylvania

The House managed to pass the bill with 71 votes backing the document and 35 opposing it. With what could be called an overwhelming support, Michigan’s Gaming Board will now be tasked with exercising control over the future operators as well as settling the legal side of things.

Following the previous successes in June, 2018, this is the most significant success for the iGaming industry in Michigan.

Licensing and Distributing the Tax Money

Licenses will cost $200,000 and be issued for a five-period, with a renewal fee at the due date of $100,000. After that period, $100,000 will apply for each subsequent year. Any interested operator can apply for a variety of options, including:

  • Casino
  • Poker rooms
  • Sports betting

With an overall tax of 8% of the gaming revenue, whatever the specific activity of the operator, Michigan will apply additionally 1.25% on commercial casinos. The extra tax is described as a “municipal fee” which will go directly to the city that is hosting the casino.

As to the tax money itself, it will go to various recipients from the state:

  • Michigan itself will get 55% for its Internet Gaming Fund
  • The Compulsive Gaming Prevention Fund will get $1 million in the very least
  • The Pension and School Funds will get 5% of the gross revenue in funding money
  • 30% will go directly to improve the urban environment in the cities hosting casinos

The bill has been long debated but now it has passed, it would help Michigan join the four states already having passed such legislation. There will be a 15-month grace period during which tribal operators and commercial casinos will have to procure their licenses and prepare for a synchronized launch.

The synchronized launch will allow all operators to step into the industry with equal chances of success, rather than the state allowing individual operators to go ahead and effectively stifling competition before the activity had begun.

Kat Orlov

Newcomer Kat is our newcomer poker aficionado whos skill not only lives on the table but flourishes on the site as through her many sources she never fails to be the first to hear of any important or exciting poker news around the world.