Senate Committee Moves Boxing and Charitable Gaming Bills

Two bills regulating professional boxing, professional or amateur mixed martial arts (MMA), as well as a bill regulating charitable gaming passed out of the Senate Regulatory Reform Committee this week.

Senate Bill 152 changes the duties and responsibilities of the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission including giving them a partnership with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to have jurisdiction and regulatory control over all boxing or MMA contests.

Some of the more significant changes include ensuring a contestant has been drug tested and having an on-site inspector. The legislation also revises and establishes new regulations concerning the conduct of the events, as well as revises fee amounts for licenses to have such events.

The Committee also passed unanimously a charitable gaming bill that caused a great deal of controversy last session. Senate Bill 187, a re-introduction of legislation by Senator Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge) would add Article 2 to the Bingo Act to regulate the conduct of millionaire parties and provide for the licensure of suppliers to millionaire party licensees.

The legislation would also establish requirements for the presence and participation of members of the charitable organization at a millionaire party. Further the legislation would limit the amount that licensees could use to pay expenses to 45 percent of the gross profit from an event, as well as require a millionaire party licensee to maintain an event record and file a financial statement.

A more significant part of the bill which created contention last session is rescinds any rules promulgated by the executive director of the Michigan Gaming Control Board before the bill's effective date, and further mandates the executive director would have to promulgate rules to implement the new section added by the bill to the Bingo Act.

Both bills passed without issue from Committee and now heads to the full Senate for review.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, May 8, 2015 11:24 AM
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