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- By Native News Online Staff
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Government officials in Michigan are still months away from finalizing rules on internet gaming and sports betting, but some Native American tribes are taking early steps to participate in the newly legalized industry, according to a news report by business publication MiBiz.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill package on Dec. 20 that legalizes online gaming and sports betting in Michigan. Since then, at least three tribes — The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi and the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians — have selected vendors to help them participate in sports betting and online gaming once regulations allow it. All three tribes operate casinos in Michigan.
Other tribes are taking a more cautious approach as Michigan’s rule-making process evolves. Some unanswered questions involve tribal sovereignty and gaming activity oversight that falls under federal law, such as on-premises sports betting at tribal casinos, according to the MiBiz report. For the full report, visit MiBiz.com.
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