Michigan to Legalize Sports Betting Soon, Photo by Picserver Laws & Regulations

Lawmakers in Michigan Could Legalize Sports Betting Before Super Bowl

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 11 September 2019

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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13 states in the USA have already legalized sports betting – and the District of Columbia is in the process of legalizing it – since the US. Supreme Court struck down laws last year. Now Michigan is set to be the next state to allow sports betting at land-based venues.

State Rep. Brandt Iden R-Kalamazoo recently told the House Regulatory Reform Committee on Tuesday that he travelled across state borders – to Indiana – to place sports bets, and he used this example to highlight the fact that Michigan is essentially ‘missing out’ by not yet having legalized it.

Widespread Support – So What’s the Hold Up?

Although the majority of legislators in Michigan have announced their approval for sports betting to be legalized in the state, the former Governor – Rick Snyder – held a notoriously anti-gambling stance during his time in office. He was worried that legalizing sports books and online casinos could affect the profitability of the state’s lottery, which uses profits to fund schools throughout the state.

However, now that a new governor is in office, Iden has new plans for sports betting to be legalized in the state. Speaking the other day, the State Representative said:

“My goal is to have this up and running by the Super Bowl. Casinos are moving forward because they know it’s going to come to fruition at some point. If we don’t do this, we will continue to lose consumers to other states.”

What Does the New Bill Include?

Iden’s new bill lays out some specifics for how sports betting would work in the state – and one of the first things covered is the taxation rate. For example, the bill calls for a flat 8% tax rate on all sports betting revenues. Experts estimate that this will bring in between $8.3 and $11.2 million in revenue every single year for the state. Other aspects, such as who will be issuing licenses to sports betting operators, have also been disclosed, although these have not yet been made available to the general public.

Michigan’s new approach towards legalizing forms of sports betting comes after the US. Supreme Court rules last year in favor of throwing out a 25-year-old federal law that prohibited sports betting outside of Nevada. Almost as soon as the ruling was announced, states across the US started looking at ways to bring sports betting in – and it’s fair to say it’s been a successful decision so far.

Also in Iden’s plans is a look to legalize online gambling – particularly online casinos. While we haven’t seen the same level of success in states legalizing online casinos so far, a few have – and this proves to be an even bigger market, if legislators can regulate it correctly. Similarly, online sports books could also become legal soon – and this would likely drive tens of millions of dollars in profits to the state each year, given the large number of people who like to place bets online.