Michigan’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules will waive remaining time designated to review online wagering according to Sen. Pete Lucido.
"Everybody wants to get this thing going," Lucido told the Associated Press. "This is something that's long overdue at this point. It's being done in other states. We're losing opportunity costs."
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed online sports betting into law one year ago and since then the state has faced hurdles in delivering mobile licenses to Detroit’s three commercial casinos and 24 tribal casinos.
Michigan is facing increased urgency to get mobile sports betting up and running.
Retail sportsbooks have been operating since March but state shutdown orders put temporary closures on commercial casinos from mid March through July.
Similar shutdown orders returned earlier in November and all three Detroit casinos are currently closed.
Online operators would like to get sports betting underway ahead of a rush of professional sports. The NFL Playoffs pick up in January while the NBA season is expected to begin in late December. The NHL should begin playing by early 2021.
Earlier in the week DraftKings announced a partnership with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.