Online Poker in Michigan Remains Stalled

It appears that residents of Michigan will have to wait a little bit longer for online poker. While legislators appeared poised to approve online poker in early 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has stalled efforts to get online poker sites up and running.

Lawmakers in Michigan expected Whitmer to pose a potential problem to the legalization of online poker for real money in the state. They introduced SB.2186 to pass online gambling legislation and were preparing to send it to Whitmer for approval when the state's Department of the Treasury attended hearings on the bill. Some individuals were expressing concern over the bill's revenue structure.

Those concerns were relayed to Whitmer who stated that she was concerned online poker would have a detrimental effect on the state lottery in Michigan. In Michigan the School Aid Fund is largely benefited by lottery revenues, and Whitmer seemed concerned that the fund would lose revenue.

Governor Whitmer's opposition has now left online poker in Michigan in limbo for the time being. Lawmakers will have to revamp the bill to clarify how online poker revenue will be shared.

Michigan is just one of the latest states to take up the issue of online gambling in the United States. Many states have already moved forward with legalization of poker and other online casino games. It has become harder for states to ignore the potential revenue that online gambling brings.

Most believe that online poker in Michigan will ultimately pass, but for the time being residents will have to wait for new legislation.