Henry Williams Takes Over As Michigan Gaming Control Board Executive Director

Can you please rephrase the following sentence?

There is now a new executive director officially appointed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

Last week, the Michigan Senate confirmed Henry Williams as the new deputy director, succeeding Richard Kalm. On Monday, he officially assumed the position.

Last month, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer nominated Williams, and their appointment was confirmed by a roll call vote of 34-1.

In a statement released by the MGCB, Williams expressed his gratitude and excitement for starting his role as the executive director of the Michigan Gaming Control Board. He acknowledged the honor he felt and mentioned his anticipation for leading the agency’s ongoing achievements. Williams also expressed appreciation towards Richard S. Kalm, the outgoing executive director, for his leadership and the opportunities he created, which ultimately led to Williams’ appointment.

The oversight of the Detroit casinos, online gambling across the state, charitable gambling events, and horse racing is carried out by the MGCB. Additionally, the board is responsible for supervising the annual payments made by Michigan tribal casinos to the state, derived from slot machine revenue.

Williams with MGCB for more than 20 years

With 20 years of experience at the MGCB, Williams, the executive director of Michigan gaming, previously served as the deputy director of the casino operations division. Within this division, he oversaw the regulation of Detroit’s commercial casinos, issuance of occupational licenses, management of the agency’s gaming lab, and administration of self-exclusion programs for individuals struggling with gambling addiction.

Williams started his career in state government in 1997, as stated by the MGCB. Before that, he held multiple roles including a juvenile justice worker, family independence specialist, protective services worker, and probation officer.

Williams, a resident of Detroit, obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science from Marygrove College and is now a licensed social worker.

Richard Kalm helped get online betting off the ground

Kalm was initially appointed by former Gov. Jennifer Granholm and later reappointed by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2013. Following two six-year terms, Kalm expressed his desire to oversee the implementation of internet gaming and online sports betting, which were legalized by Whitmer in December 2019.

Due to the pandemic, the pre-launch process was prolonged for over a year.

Michigan launched online betting on January 22nd, resulting in over $1 billion being wagered on sports online within 99 days, until April. Additionally, MI Online casinos generated an impressive $299.0 million in revenue from internet gaming during this period, positioning Michigan as one of the top states in the country in a relatively short span of time.

Last week, Kalm praised Williams and expressed confidence in his ability to strengthen the Detroit casino industry by leveraging his connections with key figures. Following the announcement of his nomination, the top executives of the Detroit casinos issued a joint statement endorsing Williams.

Last week, Kalm expressed his full support for him, affirming that he spoke as the director to endorse him. This is mainly due to the consistent presence of the leadership team, which has remained relatively unchanged. Furthermore, he highlighted that this individual has been by his side for the entirety of his 14-year tenure, with the last few years serving as a deputy director in a leadership role.

I genuinely believe that he understands it.

The sole senator who opposed the confirmation was Sen. Tom Barrett, a Republican hailing from the Lansing area.

Can you please rephrase this statement?