Michigan Gets New Online Gambling Bill

This week a Michigan politician introduced a new bill that would legalize online gambling within The Wolverine State, the latest in a string of bills looking to legalize and regulate the activity.

Representative Brandt Iden introduced the bill, which is officially known as HB4926. The bill would allow for online betting within the state's boundaries, and would allow for taxes to be generated by charging operators. This tax would be 15% on internet gambling revenues, and operators would be expected to pay $200,000 as an upfront fee. Each additional year would have a $100,00 fee, with $100,000 down required at the time of applying.

The bill would also require online operators to waive sovereign immunity, which is aimed at having Native American tribes comply with state laws to provide online wagers.

The bill is scheduled for a hearing at 10:30 am today by the House Regulatory Reform Committee. It's unlikely that the bill will get much traction, as longtime Michigan politician Mike Kowall has introduced two bills to regulate online gambling and they've gone nowhere. We'll be keeping up on this story and will update as we learn more.