Online Gambling Legalized in Michigan

On Thursday night, new legislature was approved in Lansing, Michigan officially legalizing online gambling. Players can register with Michigan’s Detroit casinos and/or one of Michigan’s 23 tribal casinos through online portals and play whenever they want, provided they live in Michigan and are at least 21 years old.

In addition to legalization, the new bill added an 8 percent tax to online gambling. 30 percent of revenue generated from the tax will go to Detroit, 5 percent will go to state schools and public transportation funds. Of profits from the tribal casinos, 25 percent will go to the Michigan strategic fund, and the remaining 75 percent goes to the state gaming fund.

There were previous fears that legalizing online gambling would draw business away from the state casinos. The portal-registration format ensures that all profits will return to the casinos and, through the new tax, will circulate back to the state. Detroit officials estimate the city will receive $179 million a year in tax revenue from the combined efforts of the physical casinos and their online portals. Michigan state Rep. Brandt Iden hopes that legalizing online gambling will provide a handy stepping stone toward legalizing sports gambling in the state.

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5 years ago
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