The US State of Michigan has recently applied to pass a bill that would allow online gambling companies to take on Michigan residents and also facilitate the development of this industry within the northern state. According to latest news, the state’s governor, Rick Snyder, vetoed the bill because gambling bills should be first approved by the US Congress and a public referendum.

The bill was set to improve economic conditions for the online gambling industry by facilitating the development, implementation, operational support and maintenance of an iLottery System and iLottery Games.

Having been approved by over 1,000 people and Michigan’s legislative officials, the bill is aimed to improve the current state lottery by expanding its game catalogue, encouraging social responsibility and customer awareness, increasing tax revenues, conducting age and ID verification, as well as regulating illegal gambling sites.

According to the Michigan Bureau of State Lottery:

The Lottery envisions iLottery [an internet version of the current State Lottery]to be rolled out broadly into various digital distribution channels (e.g. web, mobile app, mobile web, tablet, social, etc.) in order to maximize consumer participation, convenience and satisfaction.

 

The state’s tax agency is also pushing to get this law approved. This is mostly due to the increasing tax revenues that would be received by the Michigan Lottery, which accounted for $770 million in 2012. The money was invested in the state’s public education programs.

If the online gambling bill gets approved by the US congress, the industry is expected to increase Michigan’s tax revenues by $29.5 million per year, totaling at $361 million in the next 8 years.

Michigan, a state famous for boosting the American economy throughout the twentieth century with Ford car manufacturing, has been in a serious economic decline for the past 15 years due to most car manufacturers moving abroad in an attempt to decrease production costs. Here the average unemployment rate reaches 10% and the number of empty buildings and skyscrapers is among the highest across the country.

The online gambling industry is one of the areas that could increase Michigan’s budget as well as improve the state’s investments opportunities and public services.