Michigan Issues Provisional Licenses to 15 Gaming Platform Providers, Passes Interstate Online Poker Bill Michigan Issues Provisional Licenses to 15 Gaming Platform Providers, Passes Interstate Online Poker Bill
PkayChelle, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License
Key Takeaways
  • The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) issues its first provisional licenses to 15 gaming platform providers.
  • This takes them one step closer to offering online gaming and sports betting in Michigan, stated to go live in January 2021.
  • Michigan state lawmakers have also approved a bill that explicitly authorizes the state regulators to allow interstate online poker.
  • Like in PA, regulator may wait for Wire Act clarity before proceeding.

The US state of Michigan is just weeks away from the launch of iGaming in the state. The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has issued its first provisional licenses to 15 MI online gaming platform providers.

This takes them one step closer to offering online gaming, sports betting and online poker in Michigan, expected now to go live next month.

However, online poker is unlikely to be part of the initial coordinated launch. As was seen in Pennsylvania with its staggered start, it is expected to go live later in the year.

However, the good news for the online poker industry is that state lawmakers have approved a bill that authorizes the regulator to allow interstate online poker.

The bill was passed by the House last week on Thursday, December 17, with the Michigan House of Representatives voting by a margin of 85-16, with nine senators excused from the vote.

The bill now sits with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. She is expected to sign it into law.

“Though [the bill] was always expected it would pass,” State Senator Curtis Hertel, Jr. Representing Michigan’s 23rd district and the lead sponsor of SB 991 bill, told PRO’s sister site pokerfuse, “it is exciting to see that Michigan will be able to provide a more robust system for online poker players.”