Michigan Governor Proposes Per-Bet Sports Wagering Tax

Gretchen Whitmer is considering an Illinois-style per-bet tax of her own.


- Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed a per-bet sports betting tax similar to Illinois, charging operators 25 cents for the very first 20 million bets and 50 cents for each additional wager.


- The tax is projected to raise $38.8 million for the Medicaid Benefits Trust Fund, though Illinois saw a in overall bets and included costs for gamblers after embracing a comparable policy.


- Whitmer's spending plan also includes removing complimentary bet reductions and raising taxes on higher-earning online casinos, procedures anticipated to produce brand-new profits however most likely face market opposition.


Whitmer's proposed budget plan for the state's 2027 was revealed Wednesday, and it includes a per-bet tax for Michigan sports betting operators.


According to budget plan documents, the brand-new tax would be identical to Illinois' sports betting levy that was executed last year. A 25-cent tax would be applied to a licensee's first 20 million wagers in a year, and after that 50 cents for each bet over that level.


Whitmer's spending plan projections that her state's per-bet tax could create $38.8 million for the financial year, which would go to the state's Medicaid Benefits Trust Fund.


"The exact same tax was enacted in Illinois last year," spending plan rundown papers say. "Michigan's sports betting tax rate currently ranks 28th out of the 30 states that have legalized the activity. Michigan's tax rate remains the most affordable among neighboring states."


The proposal would likely raise profits for the state, but it may have consequences for wagerers. In Illinois, the per-bet tax that was generated last year prompted operators to adopt steps to balance out the included expenses, consisting of transaction charges and greater betting minimums.


Moreover, Illinois sports betting figures reveal the number of bets has actually declined following the application of the new tax.


One major market group, the Sports Betting Alliance, has attributed the falloff to the per-bet levy.


Oh boy. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's most current budget proposes to pull an Illinois and add a per-bet sports betting tax.


It would be exactly the very same as Illinois, too: 25 cents per-bet on very first 20M wagers, then 50 cents a bet after that.


h/t @MattCareyGC pic.twitter.com/JqKAXm3mqp


Whitmer's budget proposes extra tax changes for online gambling in Michigan too. The guv is now seeking to eliminate the reduction of complimentary bets from the taxable revenue of operators, which is forecasted to raise another $21.1 million.


"Free play is a reward for bettors, permitting them to begin putting sports wagers at no initial cost," the papers say. "Under the spending plan proposal, sports wagering service providers would no longer be able to subtract those wagers."


Moreover, the spending plan proposal includes a new "higher minimal tax rate" for online casinos. For an operator that makes more than $185 million in adjusted gross invoices, the tax rate would increase by eight portion points on income above that level, to 36%.


"Last year, only 3 of Michigan's web gambling establishments met the threshold for the higher tax rate to apply," the documents say. "It is forecast to produce $135.5 million in brand-new tax revenue in FY27, with the majority going directly to the Medicaid Benefits Trust Fund in support of health and health care."


It appears most likely that Whitmer's proposed tax walkings will be met resistance from the gaming industry. The propositions also have a methods to go before they are unwritten law; it's possible they don't make it into the final budget.