Michigan legislators either impressed or bored by online gambling testimony

Wednesday saw Michigan politicians hold their first hearing into legislation that would authorize online casino and poker operations by the state’s licensed casino operators.

The hearing by the Senate’s Regulatory Reform Committee hearing was notable primarily for the lack of active participation by the five committee members in attendance, who were either remarkably disinterested or sufficiently impressed by the quality of the testimony to render their questions moot.

Sen. Mike Kowall, who introduced SB 889, aka the Lawful Internet Gaming Act, last month, started the proceedings by emphasizing the new ‘consumer protection’ mantra that pro-online camps have taken to espousing at these gatherings.

Kowall raised some eyebrows by stating that allowing internet gambling could create up to 22k new jobs, although he cited no sources for the number and clarified that this claim was “new to me as of yesterday.”