Michigan Ballots May Lead To Gambling Expansion

Gambling News - February 26th, 2010 - Written By Glen

The rush for gambling expansion during 2009 has not yet cooled down, and Michigan may be the next state that adds the issue to their ballot. More gambling centers are the idea, and proponents are beginning the preliminary efforts to add expansion of gambling choices to the ballot in the next election.

Two proposals have been designed, each with a different goal. The first proposal would be over bringing more choices of gambling into the racetracks around Michigan. The second covers a more broad piece of legislation. This second proposal would aim to authorize the creation of more casinos, one each in Flint, Benton Harbor, Muskegon, Romulus, Lansing, and Detroit.

In order for the proposals to reach the ballot, a total of 300,000 signatures must be collected and verified for validity.

While both proposals are different, the expansion of gambling can only help Michigan. Detroit's casinos all reported higher revenue through January of 2010, totaling at $111 million dollars in revenue from the three gaming centers, as announced by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. This represents a 4.2% increase in revenue over January of 2009, which was the beginning of a painful year for casino gambling.

The potential for tax revenue for the state is one that lawmakers may have difficulty passing up. Until the day where Michigan Online Casinos are taxed and regulated, land based casinos are the only way that the states can generate gambling revenue. Though Michigan will soon have to contend with gambling in Ohio as competition, the expansion of gambling - possibly into the Detroit Metropolitan Airport - could serve as a solid stream of money for the state.