Will Sports Betting Become Legal In Michigan Now?

MICHIGAN, MI — It's illegal to bet on sporting events in Michigan, whether it's with a live bookie or with an online bookie, yet after a landmark moment in American sports history Monday morning, things could change in the gambling world around the mitten.

The Supreme Court ruled, 7-2, to overturn the federal ban on sports gambling. It allows individuals states to decide whether to allow sports gambling, meaning Michigan would still need to pass a law allowing sports betting.

The Detroit Free Press reported that there are currently eight bills that would expand gambling in the state, including several that would legalize sports betting and wagers on fantasy sports. Four have gotten votes in committee — three that would allow internet gambling and another that would legalize fantasy sports betting — but none have gotten votes in either the full House of Representatives or the Senate, according to the report.

Four others, including three that would legalize sports betting and allow the Michigan lottery to handle those wagers and another fantasy sports betting bill, haven’t gotten hearings yet in committee, the report added.

The Supreme Court on Monday struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The 1992 law barred state-authorized sports gambling with some exceptions. It made Nevada the only state where a person could wager on the results of a single game.

The court made the decision on a case brought forth by the state of New Jersey, which had long fought for the right to offer sports gambling.

The American Gaming Association estimates that Americans illegally wager about $150 billion on sports each year.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

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