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In September, Playinmichigan stated that numerous bills have been proposed to legalize online gambling in the Wolverine State, however, they have not received significant support.
State Rep. Brandt Iden presented a new online gaming legislation in September, with the intention of enhancing a separate bill previously introduced by State Sen. Mike Kowall. This particular bill has been under discussion in the upper chamber of the statehouse in Lansing since April 2016.
Iden had a goal of improving the acceptance of online gambling among tribal gaming operators in the state. Nevertheless, his endeavors appear to be as ineffective as Kowall’s. Similar to Iden, the state senator has encountered obstacles in his pursuit to legalize online gaming in the state.
Two issues are hindering Michigan’s progress.
- There are concerns regarding the constitutionality of expanding gambling without obtaining a constitutional amendment and conducting a voter referendum.
- The state’s tribal and commercial casinos have failed to provide adequate support.
The compromise nobody wants
Michigan’s predicament lies in the simultaneous presence of tribal and commercial gaming interests. Finding a balance between the two factions through legislation is a challenging task.
Iden’s intentions in providing clarifications and concessions to tribal casino operators were to facilitate a productive discussion between the two sides. However, rather than bridging the gap, these compromises appear to have exacerbated the divide between them.
Tribes remained unsatisfied with the insufficient extent of the new legislation, maintaining their opposition to the bill. Conversely, commercial operators, who had previously been neutral or mildly supportive of the legislation, shifted their stance and began opposing it due to its excessive nature.
No thanks to be given
Iden expressed his desire to achieve consensus and pass the bill in the House by Thanksgiving, back in October.
OPR was told by Iden, “My goal for the month of October is to make significant progress. Ideally, I would like to gather all parties involved, create a bill, and successfully pass it through the House before Thanksgiving. Its feasibility remains to be seen, but that’s what I aim for.”
Iden’s self-imposed deadline passed silently, with no mention of online gambling.
There’s always next year
It appears highly improbable that any action will be taken on online gambling for the remainder of 2017. With both chambers of Congress only in session until December 14th, there has been no indication of online gaming being revisited.
This implies that Michigan has moved forward to 2018. Nonetheless, the upcoming year will come with the identical unresolved issues.
