One Signature Left for Interstate Poker
January brings more great news for Michigan online poker players. The state’s House of Representatives voted in approval of SB 991, which is a follow-up measure to the Lawful Internet Gaming Act. The bill is headed to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer‘s desk and is expected to be signed next week.
Poker players are one step closer to being able to take part in tournaments and cash games with players from other states. The bill will allow the Michigan Gaming Control Board to enter interstate compacts for online gambling.
Senator Curtis Hertel, Jr. lead sponsor of the poker measure, said that it was expected the bill would pass. The Senator also commented on how exciting it is to see Michigan being able to provide players with a stronger system.
”This is a complex package that has a lot of moving parts to it. But what it really does is provide better regulations in Michigan for gambling, and some financial resources for our schools, which is obviously needed.”
Online poker was first approved by the state in December 2019 as online casino gaming, poker, and sports betting will help bring more revenues to the state via taxes. This approval means that the board can now work with other states that have legalized online poker, such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
However, this will not open Michigan up to multistate online poker immediately. More rules and regulations had to be created along with operator vetting and licensing. The first online gambling operations out of 15 to get the green light, will start in January 2021.
Excerpt from the bill:
”The board may enter into agreements with other jurisdictions, including Indian tribes, to facilitate, administer, and regulate multijurisdictional internet gaming for poker by internet gaming operators to the extent that entering into the agreement is consistent with state and federal laws and if the internet gaming under the agreement is conducted only in the United States.”
While online gambling will likely begin in mid-January, it’s still unclear if poker will be among the first operations to begin in the state.
So what else needs to happen?
-Gov. Whitmer must sign the bill or let it become law. This will most likely happen very soon.
-The MGCB must enter a compact with other states. There is no timeframe for this just yet.
-Operators would have to go live with an expansion of interstate poker. It is unlikely that anyone would risk doing it at this point given the current Wire Act case in the federal court system.
In conclusion, while the new bill is great news, players may have to wait until they can play poker against a larger player pool, involving more than just the Michigan state residents.
