potential expansion of online gambling<\/a> is now seen by Indian leaders as more legislation that fails to respect tribal sovereignty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nIn a joint letter from the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi and Saginaw Chippewa Indians, the tribes tell the Michigan Senate Regulatory Committee that they are allowed under federal law to commence internet gambling.<\/p>\n
“The legislation requires unconditional and unwarranted waivers of sovereign immunity,” the letter states. “By failing to recognize that Indian tribes are already authorized to conduct on reservations internet gaming under both the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, the legislation would curtail these lawful aspects of Indian tribal gaming.”<\/p>\n
Where There’s Money, There’s Support<\/b><\/h2>\n
The tribe’s opposition is due to their belief that they would be unfairly tariffed if they decided\u00a0to move forward with online gambling. Both Native American groups say if they want to offer interactive gaming to persons on their sovereign lands, there’s no barrier currently preventing them from doing so.<\/p>\n
But if passed and signed into law, Kowall’s bill would require not only the commercial operators in Detroit, but also the tribes, to pay $100,000 per year should they wish to launch\u00a0online gambling. Ten percent of their gross revenues would also be directed to the state’s coffers.<\/strong><\/p>\nMichigan, like so many governments around the country, continues to look for new revenue streams as tax payments remain at lower levels than before the Great Recession hit in 2008.<\/p>\n
It’s difficult to pinpoint just how much the\u00a0Michigan online gambling bill might reap for the state, as it’s unclear how many casinos and tribes would bite. However, some forecasts call for as much as $30 million a year once the market reaches maturity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Michigan online gambling advocates say they’re encouraged by the recent support that’s been generated for the latest internet casino bill introduced in Lansing. State Senate Majority Leader Mike Kowall (R-District 15) introduced SB 203 earlier this month. If the legislation becomes law, commercial casinos and federally recognized tribes would be permitted to obtain online gaming […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":47359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,13,61],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Michigan Online Gambling Supporters "Cautiously Optimistic"<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n