S.B. 573: FLOOR ANALYSIS - PROHIBITED GAMBLING ACTIVITIES

PROHIBITED GAMBLING ACTIVITIES - S.B. 573: FLOOR ANALYSIS

Senate Bill 573 (as reported without amendment)

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Michigan Penal Code to prohibit a person from knowingly conducting or allowing gambling on a watercraft on waters within the jurisdiction of this State during an excursion that both embarked and disembarked at a point within Michigan. A violation would be a felony punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, a $5,000 fine, or both.

The bill also would prohibit a person from offering on-line gambling to residents of this State, or transmitting money or credit to a State resident as a result of an on-line gambling transaction. A violation would be a felony punishable by imprisonment for up to two years and/or a maximum fine of $10,000. "On-line gambling" would mean the making, placing, or receipt via computer of any wager of money or other thing of value, made in exchange for a chance to win a prize, stake, or other consideration or thing of value, dependent upon the result of any game, contest, or other event whose outcome was uncertain, whether the game, contest, or other event occurred inside or outside of this State.

Proposed MCL 750.309a - Legislative Analyst: S. Margules

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on State government.

The new penalties created in the bill could result in increased costs for apprehending, prosecuting, and sanctioning violators of the bill's provisions. While there currently are no data on the expected number of annual violations, the number is not expected to be significant. As a point of information, in 1995, there were a total of 20 convictions for existing gambling and gaming-related offenses, for which no offenders were sentenced to prison, 13 received a probation sentence, and seven were sentenced to jail.

Date Completed: 6-9-97 - Fiscal Analyst: M. Hansen

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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.