Charity Gambling Booms in Michigan

Michigan state officials are exploring tighter controls on charity-sponsored casinos, which have nearly tripled their take in the past four years, reports the Associated Press.

Casino-style games earned Michigan charities $10.5-million in fiscal 2008, compared with $3.6-million in fiscal 2004. The number of licenses for such gaming issues by the Michigan Lottery increased nearly sixfold in that time.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board formed a committee last year to study issues surrounding charity-sponsored gambling, and a Detroit-area state legislator has proposed limiting gambling venues to a single, four-day charitable event per month.

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