ANN ARBOR -- With Monday's Supreme Court ruling that opened the door for legal sports betting across the country, at least one Michigan lawmaker hopes to take advantage in the near future.

State Rep. Robert Kosowski, who three years ago introduced a bill to legalize sports betting in Michigan, said the issue may head to a legislative committee as early as next week.

"We're working on that. It's not like we're behind the curve right now," he said.

Michigan isn't as far along as New Jersey, the state that brought the case to court and could be ready to take bets by the NBA Finals at the end of the month.

"I don't see that happening (for us)," Kosowski said. "But I do see maybe at the start of football season, something's possible. But we have to have a lot of work groups, meet with the casinos in Detroit and the tribes. We've got to get everybody's intake and go from there."

With a few exceptions, the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act meant sports gambling was not permitted in the U.S. outside of Nevada, the only state where one could bet on the outcome of a single sporting event. Monday's ruling almost certainly assures that will change.

"Why should my constituents have to fly to Vegas to do sports betting?" Kosowoski said. "This is a destination plan. People go to Vegas to gamble on sports. They buy food, they stay in their hotels. That's what I want in Michigan. I want people to come to our great state and see what we have to offer, which can only help having people move here."

Through offshore websites and local bookies, the American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates Americans bet $150 billion on sports illegally each year. An AGA report last March estimated that 97 percent of the more than $10 billion bet on the NCAA men's basketball tournament would be wagered illegally.

Proponents say legalization would bring betting out of the shadows, giving the state an avenue to tax it for more revenue.

Michigan has more than 20 casinos, including three in downtown Detroit, which have some of the infrastructure required to take sports bets.

And yet the local teams weren't exactly cheering Monday's ruling.

"U-M has consistently been opposed to betting on high school and college sports," the University of Michigan office of public affairs said in a statement.

The Red Wings, Lions, and Tigers referred MLive to their respective league statements (the Pistons did not respond to a request for comment). The NHL's statement noted that the court ruling "has no immediate impact on exiting League rules relating to sports wagering." The NFL and MLB stressed the importance of maintaining the integrity of games.

"Congress has long-recognized potential harms posed by sports betting to the integrity of sporting contests and the public confidence in these events," the NFL statement said. "Given that history, we intend to call on Congress again, this time to enact a core regulatory framework for legalized sports betting."

The office of Michigan governor Rick Snyder told MLive in a statement that, "We are still reviewing the Supreme Court's decision, but on the surface, it appears legalization of sports betting is something that would need to go through the legislative process, keeping in mind the will of the voters of Michigan on the expansion of gaming."

A poll last September showed that a majority of Americans approved of legalizing sports gambling. Kosowski said he hears from some people who feel gambling is immoral. But he feels sports betting is no different than the state-run lottery or bingo games with cash prizes.

"I watch people in my district put hundreds of dollars on three or four digits in their party stores," Kosowski said. "Why can't they put $20 on the Lions?"

Should any state accept sports bets, college sports would presumably be offered as well. The NCAA, listed as the defendant in the lawsuit, released a statement Monday: "While we are still reviewing the decision to understand the overall implications to college sports, we will adjust sports wagering and championship policies to align with the direction from the court."

MLive reached out to the Michigan State University office of the president and received this response: "This is a new development and it will take time to review how this ruling impacts college sports. MSU will be awaiting guidance and direction from the NCAA on how it plans to proceed."