Michigan State Representative Brandt Iden has received an honorary American Gambling Award for his pivotal role in Michigan’s successful legalization of sports betting, online poker and online casino in late 2019.
Gambling.com said that the willingness of Iden, who serves the 61st District in the Michigan House of Representatives, to work with a broad range of stakeholders “helped establish a solid compromise bill in 2019 that had broad-based appeal for tribes, commercial casinos, online operators and fantasy sports providers.”
It added that this would allow online gamblers in the state to play at fully regulated and taxed operators with full player protections, as opposed to with offshore sites which continue to target the market without any local oversight.
Charles Gillespie, chief executive of Gambling.com Group Plc, said it was Iden’s “feat of championing a successful all-encompassing gaming bill into law that truly set him apart over the last year”.
Iden called it “truly a fantastic honor” to receive the Honorary 2020 Golden Eagle from Gambling.com. “I would like to thank my staff, colleagues, the governor of our great state of Michigan and the industry advocates who spent thousands of hours and over four years of hard work helping to make this policy a reality.”
The American Gambling Awards were due to take place during the ICE North America event in New Orleans earlier this month, before the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak forced its postponement to spring 2021.
The affiliate portal which provides online gambling news, product reviews, comparisons, bonuses and tips, said it expected the awards to return in 2021 with a full slate of categories and nominees. For more information, visit the awards website: www.gambling.com/us/awards.