Michigan’s chances for interstate online poker are looking way up. Senate Bill 991 passed a Senate floor vote by a wide margin on Wednesday, and now needs approval from the House of Representatives and the governor to become law.
SB 991 is a simple bill which doesn’t establish any specifics for interstate poker, only allows for it to be a possibility. It amends last year’s Lawful Internet Gaming Act (LIGA) to add a clause permitting the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) to enter into compacts for purposes of online poker with regulators in other states, as well as with tribal gaming authorities.
Such permission was included in a more general form in early drafts of LIGA. However, lawmakers stripped it out at the last minute at the behest of the state lottery.