
Key points:
- The Tribe received applications from 73 local organizations
- This payment program has been in effect since 1994
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians has announced that the Tribe will distribute $814,480.71 of gaming revenue allocation to local units of government, according to a local report in The Tucker.
Per the terms of the consent decree that settled Tribes v. Engler, the allocation takes place two times per year, “no later than 60 days after October 1 and March 31.”
However, an agreement between the Tribe and the State of Michigan has modified the consent agreement’s payment schedule to July 31 and January 31.
The 2% allocation started in 1994. Since then, local organizations have received more than $47m in allocations from the Grand Traverse Band.
For this distribution, 39 applicants will receive funds. The Tribe received 73 total applications.
Recipients included several cities, including Charlevoix, Frankfort and Traverse City, which received $ 15,000, $ 10,795 and $50,000 respectively.
In other state news, The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has recently sent Duranbah Limited N.V., the operator of MyBookie.ag, a cease-and-desist letter following an investigation into the Curaçao-based website.
The regulator found that MyBookie.ag was in violation of Michigan’s gambling laws, including Michigan Penal Code, the Lawful Internet Gaming Act and the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act.
The control board said in a statement, “The MGCB’s investigation revealed that MyBookie.ag’s operation of online casino-style games for paying customers, without a valid Michigan gambling license, breaches several state laws.”
MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams also took a moment to discuss the investigation and what the regulator discovered.
He commented, “Our investigation into MyBookie.ag found that their operations were accessible to Michigan citizens, which violates state laws. We are taking strong action to uphold the principles of fair and legal gaming.”