Will Michigan ban online sale of lottery tickets?

In a political move not dissimilar to a recent Utah initiative, a Michigan Republican representative is trying to push a state legislative measure through that will specifically prohibit the Michigan Lottery from selling tickets online.

Online opportunities for state lotteries have sprung into sharp focus following the US Department of Justice admission last December that the Wire Act applies only to sports betting.

The WNEM television station reports that Rep. Mike Green introduced SB-1003 Tuesday to thwart plans by the state lottery to take ticket sales online.

“Selling lottery tickets over the Internet benefits the government’s wallet and little else,” said Green in justifying his initiative “It threatens local businesses and may potentially bring financial harm to Michigan residents. Online lottery sales runs counter to our goals of attracting new business, creating jobs and turning our state around.”

Green’s measure seeks to amend the McCauley-Traxler-Law-Bowman-McNeely Lottery Act of 1972 by removing a paragraph that calls for Scott Bowen, Commissioner for the Michigan Bureau of State Lottery, to ‘submit a proposal to develop a programme for the education and treatment of compulsive gamblers to the legislature’ and replacing it with language that would specifically forbid the selling of ‘tickets or shares in the state lottery’ over the Internet.

Co-sponsored by Republican Senators Jim Marleau and Rick Jones, SB-1003 has now gone to committee where it will be decided if it should be put before the full 38-member body for a vote.

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