WSOP Champs Cada and Riess React to Michigan's Online Gaming Bill
Earlier this week, the Michigan House of Representatives voted 68-40 to pass House Bill 4926 (AKA the Lawful Internet Gaming Act), which would allow casinos to offer online gaming. The move puts Michigan in a position to become the next state to legalize online poker.
Before it can, the bill must move on to the Michigan Senate, which is on break until September. The bill would require players to be at least 21 years old to play and register with one of the state's casinos, of which there are three in Detroit and 23 tribal casinos.
The bill accounts for an 8% tax with 55% of that going to casinos, 35% to the Michigan Internet Gaming Fund, and 5% each to schools and a transportation fund. No word yet on whether or not Michigan would enter into any sort of interstate compact.
Cada: "There’s a huge player base in Michigan, I know a ton of players who play and would be excited to play online.”
“It will allow internet gaming as it pertains to all the games currently allowed in a brick and mortar casino … you’d be able to play that online,” state Rep. Brandt Iden, R-Kalamazoo, is reported saying in the Detroit Free Press. “If (a casino) doesn’t have a physical presence here, they’re not going to be able to do it.”
Online gaming has long been bantered about in Michigan, but it seems the latest vote was spurred by the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing for states to offer sports betting.
“When we come back in the fall, this is going to be at the top of the agenda,” Iden said. “Michigan should be at the forefront of that.”
WSOP Michigan Champs Weigh In
Michigan actually has a strong connection to poker. Just last month, the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) set a state record for the largest-ever tournament as 1,287 runners played in an $1,100 Main Event at FireKeepers Casino.
Then, of course, there are the two World Series of Poker Main Event champions that game from the Wolverine State. In 2009, Joe Cada topped a field of 6,494 players to win $8,546,435, and four years later Ryan Riess came out on top of a 6,352-player field to win the 2013 WSOP for $8,361,570. They're number 1 and 2 on Michigan's All Time Money List by quite the margin.
Riess: "I spoke with a player the other day who asked me the best way for him to get better. I told him to play online."
“I feel great about this bill’s passage,” said Cada, who won his third gold bracelet earlier this summer. “My life revolves around poker. I live in Michigan, I’m a homebody guy so hearing about the bill is great news.”
While he doesn’t reside in Michigan any longer, Riess was equally excited.
“I don’t spend that much time in Michigan anymore, but it’s great for poker,” he said. “I know a lot of players there, and I think a lot of people would play online. I spoke with a player the other day who asked me the best way for him to get better. I told him to play online. Playing online is the best way to learn. You can play so many hands and tables, it’s the best way for players to get better. It’s a big reason why the players in Europe are better than American players at the lower levels, because they can practice online.”
As someone closely tied into the Michigan poker community, Cada echoed those sentiments.
“I think there’s a huge poker community in Michigan,” he offered. “I know this from when the charity rooms were basically legal, but they restricted those rooms because of the casinos. There’s a huge player base in Michigan, I know a ton of players who play and would be excited to play online.”
Cutting their chops in Michigan, both Riess and Cada had thoughts on which casinos would be best positioned to take advantage of online gaming.
Cada: “I’ve always been an advocate for online poker, so if someone really wanted to talk to me about it, I’d love to explain it.”
“They all have a ton of money behind them,” said Riess. “The owner of the Red Wings also owns MotorCity Casino, so they have a ton of money behind them. Then of course there is MGM and all the tribal casinos. Maybe they can all partner together if that’s possible.”
Cada added: “I’m not sure which casinos would get into it first. I don’t think Greektown, I think it’d be either MGM or Motor City because those are the two biggest ones.”
Finally, Cada didn’t hesitate to make himself available to any politicians who might be interested in hearing from a home state champ.
“I’ve always been an advocate for online poker, so if someone really wanted to talk to me about it, I’d love to explain it,” he said. “I doubt that time will come but if it happens my time is theirs.”
