This decision was written into law under the Racing Act of 1933, thus becoming the first legal form of gambling in the region. That year, the local government decided to allow pari-mutuel bets to be placed on horse racing events. The first gambling opportunity for these players occurred 23 years later, in 1933. Early Gamblingĭue to the prohibition of gambling in 1910, gamblers in Michigan were left with virtually no legal options for placing wagers. The state now generates more than $2.3 billion in revenue for the gambling market annually. Many years of law changes eventually enabled the Great Lakes State to permit gambling activities. Michigan, like many others, has a long history of gambling. However, individual states slowly began fighting for the right to allow gambling-and many of these states won their battles.
This is because nearly all forms of gambling were prohibited nationally in 1910. Gambling has had a turbulent past in almost every American state.
