Michigan to discuss new online gambling bill
A House Committee from the Wolverine State will hold a hearing to discuss online poker today.
US.- A Michigan House Committee will discuss the newly introduced H 4926 today. The online poker bill was introduced by Michigan state Representative Brandt Iden yesterday. According to Poker Player’s Alliance, the bill will be trated on a hearing by the House Regulatory Reform Committee.
The new bill establishes that tribes would have to renegotiate compacts with the staet in order to offer online gambling in Michigan. Operators would also have to pay a US$100k application fee and US$200k license fees that would go down US$100k after the first year of operations. A 15 percent tax rate will be charged if a tribe renegotiates a compact.
Poker Player’s Alliance will testify at the House hearing tomorrow, as it was revealed on social media. The bill’s aim is to “create the lawful internet gaming act; to impose requirements for persons to engage in internet gaming; to create the division of internet gaming; to provide for the powers and duties of the division of internet gaming and other state governmental officers and entities; to impose fees; to impose a tax on the conduct of licensed internet gaming; to create the internet gaming fund; to prohibit certain acts in relation to internet gaming and to prescribe penalties for those violations; to require the promulgation of rules; and to provide remedies.”
Moreover the bill adds that a federally recognized Michigan Indian tribe may conduct internet gambling if authorised by a compact the tribe has entered into with this state under the Indian gaming regulatory act. The legislation would give regulators a year to come up with proper regulations regarding licensing rules and operation of online gambling sites.
Players would also need to be at least 21 years of age and located inside the state’s borders in order to be able to gamble. The legislation would also allow Michigan to sign interstate compacts with other territories where gambling is a legal activity.
