Michigan bill now includes sports betting
Sports betting could be allowed in Michigan after it was added to a gambling bill that progressed through the state’s legislature on Wednesday.
Rep. Brandt Iden’s H4926 was approved by the House Regulatory Reform Committee in the state that has a population of 10 million and includes major cities such as Detroit.
The most recent version of the bill includes provision for sports betting, with its progress coming as New Jersey challenges the federal ban on sports betting in the US Supreme Court.
H4926 would legalise internet gambling and impose a revenue tax of 10% on all operators.
It now includes the provision: “The division may permit an internet gaming licensee to conduct internet wagering under this act on any amateur or professional sporting event or contest, if that internet wagering is not prohibited by federal law.”
While it is unlikely there will be time for a House floor vote on the bill before the end of the year, Iden is confident about the progress of H4926 and also the likelihood of a repeal of the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which prevents states from allowing sports betting.
“That language is in there to start the next round of conversations,” Iden told Legal Sports Report after the bill advanced. “I don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves, but we know that is coming – the repeal of PASPA is likely coming in the spring – and we want to put Michigan in position to put our best foot forward as it related to sports gaming.”
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