Cardplayer.com has been speaking to Michigan State Senator Mike Kowall and the online gambling bill creator is confident that the bill will pass by the end of the year.

With the focus squarely on proceedings on the online gambling space in Pennsylvania, the state of Michigan has thrown their hat in the ring to be the first state to legalise online gambling since New Jersey way back in 2013.

The bill’s creator, Senator Mike Kowall, told Cardplayer.com that there was still ‘plenty of time’ to get the bill underneath the noses of the right people, and firmly believes Michigan residents will be able to gamble online by the time Rudolph is put back into his stable.

Sen. Kowall first produced his online gambling bill (SB.899) in April 2016 but had been working on it for three years leading up to that point. The first phase of the plan was to legalise the much simpler online lottery. That passed into law in 2014, and it will make it easier for SB.899 to get traction.

The  Senate Regulatory Reform Committee passed the bill by a vote of 8-1, which is not surprising when you consider the bill’s co-sponsors Curtis Hertel Jr, Rebekah Warren, Bert Johnson and Marty Knollenberg all have seats on that committee.

The powers to be will return to vet the bill this week, and Kowall is confident that the bill will pass unopposed during final talks in either November or December.

More at Calvin Ayre