Local bars, neighborhood restaurants and community entertainment venues across Michigan have been through a difficult period over the past two years. As they continue to grapple with higher prices, staff and inventory shortages and other pandemic-related challenges, redemption games are a necessary tool to help them continue to pay their bills and keep the lights on.
These small businesses need every single revenue stream to continue to make ends meet, hire workers and – eventually – pump tens of millions of dollars into their local communities through taxes.
State agencies are wrongfully targeting redemption games, causing negative economic consequences for bars, restaurants and charitable organizations like VFW Halls and Elks Lodges. And now we need legislation to create a clear regulatory system for redemption games would ensure uniform and consistent enforcement, allowing good actors to thrive and providing a system for regulators to crack down on bad actors who are gaming the system. That’s where this important legislation comes into play.
This much-needed legislation will provide certainty to an industry that has existed for decades, clarifying a practice in place since 1997 and helping family-owned restaurants, neighborhood taverns and local entertainment venues continue to grow and create jobs.