Bill
HB 5834
Expands MGCB background checks to internet gaming suppliers and occupational licenses, removes initial photo/fingerprint submission, and uses ongoing consent-based verification wit
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Title: Gaming: other; authority to obtain criminal history records and fingerprints; provide for. Amends sec. 19 of 2019 PA 152 (MCL 432.319)
Bill status: Introduced and referred to Committee on Regulatory Reform (as of 4/21/2026). Sponsor: Rep. Joseph A. Aragona; Co-sponsors: Rep. Mike Hoadley, Rep. Tullio Liberati, Jr.
Purpose and main intent
- The bills in this package (HB 5832, 5833, and 5834) are designed to expand and formalize the use of criminal history background checks for individuals involved in Michigan’s gaming and sports betting ecosystems.
- Specifically, HB 5834 focuses on expanding the Michigan Gaming Control Board’s (MGCB) authority to conduct criminal history checks for individuals holding or applying for internet gaming supplier licenses and occupational licenses, and to remove the current requirement that applicants submit a photo and fingerprints with their application. Instead, it aligns with broader consent-based background checks and ongoing verification processes.
Key provisions of HB 5834
- Amends the Lawful Internet Gaming Act (amending MCL 432.319, Sec. 19).
- Background checks
- The MGCB would be authorized to conduct criminal history background checks on:
- Applicants for internet gaming supplier licenses.
- Individuals holding or applying for internet gaming occupational licenses.
- Board employees and prospective board employees.
- Other persons, including MGCB agents and contractors, as necessary to carry out statutory powers and responsibilities.
- Fingerprints and data collection
- The current requirement for an applicant to submit with the application: a photograph and two sets of fingerprints, is removed for internet gaming (HB 5834). Instead, the board’s consent provisions apply to holders/applicants for internet gaming supplier licenses and occupational licenses, as well as to board employees and prospective employees.
- Fingerprint data handling and sharing
- Fingerprints submitted under this act would be reviewed by the Department of State Police (DSP) and FBI for criminal history background checks.
- The DSP may charge the MGCB a fee for such checks.
- The MGCB shall not share the criminal history record checks with private entities.
- The DSP would store fingerprints in an automated system and notify the MGCB of matches or new information.
- If the FBI/NDSP notification systems are available, fingerprints may be stored in the FBI’s or DSP’s notification systems, with automatic alerts to the MGCB when new arrest information matches previously submitted fingerprints.
- Scope of “occupational license” (for internet gaming)
- The act defines occupational licenses to cover:
- Individuals who can directly affect the outcome of an internet game (e.g., live dealers, infrastructure technology personnel with direct influence on gameplay, and those with equivalent access to critical platform components).
- Supervisors who directly affect the outcome or who supervise such personnel (e.g., heads of fraud and risk, accounting and finance, operations, and those responsible for daily payments to Michigan).
- It includes directors and managerial employees of internet gaming supplier applicants or licensees (and certain “qualifying business” entities) who perform executive or financial officer roles or have substantial ownership/control relationships.
- Definitions and coverage
- The bill provides detailed definitions for who constitutes an occupational licensee and which positions would fall under that umbrella, including various managerial roles and directors of qualifying businesses within the gaming ecosystem.
Fiscal impacts
- The House Fiscal Agency notes marginal cost increases to the MGCB due to the fingerprint-based background checks.
- The DSP’s background check services: Live Scan fingerprinting ($42 per scan) and iCHAT online background ($10 per search) may apply.
- Any increased costs are expected to be covered by MGCB’s ongoing appropriations; the bills themselves do not mandate fingerprint submission with application (HB 5834), but authorize comprehensive background checks.
Procedural/timeline notes
- Committee: Regulatory Reform.
- Action history indicates introduction and referral in April 2026; the bill is at the committee stage for consideration.
- The companion bills (HB 5832 for casino/sports betting acts and HB 5833 for the Lawful Sports Betting Act) accompany HB 5834 in creating a unified framework for criminal history checks across gaming-related licenses.
Who is affected
- Internet gaming licensees and applicants (suppliers and occupational licensees).
- Internet gaming platform employees and contractors, including those in sensitive operational roles.
- MGCB employees and prospective employees.
- Related business entities and directors/managers within the gaming ecosystem that meet the defined “qualifying business” criteria.
Overall impact
- Aims to strengthen integrity and regulatory oversight by expanding fingerprint-based criminal history checks and aligning licensure requirements across internet gaming and related supplier/operator roles.
- Removes the requirement to submit a photo and fingerprints with initial internet gaming license applications in HB 5834, replacing it with ongoing consent-based checks and automatic notification systems to improve efficiency and timely monitoring.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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