A New Michigan Sports Betting Bill To Be Introduced Soon

• A brand-new sports betting bill will be introduced by the end of May.
• Representative Brandt Iden has worked with stakeholders to make this bill.
• MI HB 4311 allows for online gambling but it is struggling to move forward.

LANSING, Mich. – State representative Brandt Iden said that he is planning to introduce a dedicated sports betting bill in Michigan by the end of May.

Working With Stakeholders

Iden has said since 2018 that he will introduce a sports betting bill as soon as it is ready in 2019. One of the key points for him to make the bill is to make sure that the stakeholders for legal sports betting are completely satisfied. The stakeholders were not ready for the first few months of 2019 to manage sports betting. Michigan stakeholders now seem ready to jump into sports gambling.

“I’ve been working with stakeholders behind the scenes to make sure we get the language right,” said Iden.

Lawmakers in other states do not always work with stakeholders when they draft sports wagering legislation. Iden knows that the stakeholders are the experts in the field, so he wants to make sure that he gets the bill right the on the first draft. This will allow the future bill to move faster through Congress because stakeholders will already agree with it. From looking at previous bills that he has introduced, it is likely that internet sports gambling will also be in the works.

Online Gambling Bill Is On Hold

The future sports betting bill is not the only gambling legislation that Iden is working on. He has also introduced MI HB 4311 to allow for internet gaming. The offerings in this bill include card games such as blackjack and poker, and slots as well. There is also a provision that would allow for sports betting to take place.

But MI HB 4311 has run into some problems. The legislation was met with opposition in the House Ways and Means Committee. The Committee has said that MI HB 4311 would likely be vetoed with how it is currently drafted. This wouldn’t be the first time this has happened.

A similar bill passed through Michigan Congress in 2018 but was vetoed by the previous governor. Governor Gretchen Whitmer has since taken office, and she is also apprehensive about the online gambling bill. The governor said that passing MI HB 4311 would lower the overall state revenue and would affect education programs.

Although the online gambling bill is running into some issues, the language it uses could help draft the new Michigan sports betting bill. Since Iden is the author of MI HB 4311, he is likely in favor of online sports betting since it was in that bill. Chances are, the new sports betting bill that he is going to introduce might include internet sports gambling.

We will soon be able to see what Iden and Michigan stakeholders believe what sports gambling in Michigan should look like. Iden has said that he will introduce a bill by the end of May, and he thinks that the bill will be up for a vote sometime in June.

News tags: MI HB 4311 | Michigan | sports betting