Michigan Online Gambling Resurfaces

After falling off the radar, Michigan has reentered the online gambling conversation, with a new draft of H4926, an online gaming bill.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Brandt Iden, told Online Poker Report he was hopeful the legislation would pass the House before May 8. That deadline has come and gone, and Iden is now shooting to get the bill passed before the legislature’s summer recess on June 21.

That still seems like an overly aggressive timeline, considering the entire House of Representatives will spend its summer recess campaigning for the November election. Having to field questions or defend a vote on gambling is something most lawmakers seeking reelection would like to avoid.

As such, it seems unlikely H4926 comes up until the post-election lame-duck session, if at all.

Michigan has a habit of thawing out its online gaming bill every few months.

New bills surface, or existing bills reappear with adjustments that try to appease the state’s gaming tribes and commercial casinos. The legislation usually comes with optimistic rhetoric about its chances of passing from a key lawmaker, before it’s eventually placed back on the shelf.

Like previous efforts, it looks like the latest changes to Iden’s bill aren’t enough to win the support of both the tribes and the commercial casinos.

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