The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) issued cease-and-desist letters on October 8 to 33 offshore gambling operators it says offered online casino games, sweepstakes-style games or sports betting to Michigan residents without a state licence. The action highlights a practical divide for players: unlicensed sites are not required to honor Michigan’s self-exclusion database or other protections mandated for licensed operators.
Michigan’s dispute with 33 offshore operators
The MGCB said its investigations found each named operator was offering casino-style games, sweepstakes-style games or sports betting to Michigan residents without a state licence. Under Michigan law, companies must be licensed by the regulator to provide internet gaming or sports wagering in the state.
The letters went to Azartzona Casino, Basepoker, BingoMania, BitofGold, Cryptoplay, Del Oro Casino, Detective Slots, Donbet, Exclusive Casino, Genie Jackpot, Guangzhou Snail Interactive Technology Co., Ltd., Immersion Casino Online, iWild Casino, JacksPay, Jurassic Slots, L0tt0, Lucky Charm Sweep, Lucky Rebel and Magicianbet.
The other recipients were mBit Casino, Odds Maker, Raging Bull Slots, Regal Casino and Sportsbook, also known as Wager Street, Ronin Slots, Runewager, Slot Paradise, Sloto Tribe, Sloto’Cash Online Casino, Spin Dinero, SpinsTopia, Stardust, SunnySpins Casino and The Online Casino.
Licensed Michigan operators must check the Internet Gaming and Sports Betting Responsible Gaming Database, which allows people to voluntarily exclude themselves from online gambling. Offshore operators have no obligation to honor that database, so someone who has self-excluded may still be able to open an account, deposit funds and place bets on an unlicensed platform.
What players lose on unlicensed sites
MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams framed the letters as a warning that Michigan’s protections do not extend to offshore platforms. The regulator says those sites do not provide access to state self-exclusion, deposit limits or other responsible-gambling tools required of licensed operators.
The agency also warns that players on unlicensed sites lack independent testing to verify game fairness, protections for personal and financial information under Michigan’s regulatory standards, and recourse through the MGCB if winnings are withheld or an account is closed. Those gaps can leave customers without the safeguards or complaint route available in the regulated market.
Enforcement and the scale of the illegal market
The enforcement framework rests on the Lawful Internet Gaming Act, the Lawful Sports Betting Act and related state statutes, which require operators to hold an MGCB licence. Companies that disregard cease-and-desist directives may face further enforcement action in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
The October action follows an MGCB announcement in April 2026 that it had sent cease-and-desist letters to 45 offshore operators over a four-month period. Michigan residents can check authorised online gaming and sports-betting platforms through the MGCB website, or report suspected illegal gambling sites to MIGamblingTip@michigan.gov and the agency’s anonymous tip line at 1-888-314-2682.
Michigan’s action sits within a broader enforcement challenge: overseas operators can target local customers outside the state’s licensing system. Other jurisdictions are also trying to direct players toward regulated options, including Alberta’s efforts to address offshore gambling through market rules and enforcement.
National figures cited by the MGCB underline the regulator’s concern. An August 2025 American Gaming Association (AGA) analysis estimated that Americans wager $673.6 billion each year with illegal and unregulated gambling operators, including offshore sites, and said the market had grown 22% since its previous report in 2022.
The same study found that the share of online-casino players using only legal sites fell from 52% in 2022 to 24%, while nearly half now use both legal and illegal sites. It also estimated $84 billion in bets with illegal bookies and offshore sportsbooks during the year covered, with one in 10 sports bettors wagering exclusively through illegal sources.
Awareness is another concern: earlier AGA consumer research found that 70% of sports bettors who placed most of their wagers with illegal operators believed they were using only legal sportsbooks or dividing their bets evenly between legal and illegal ones. For Michigan regulators, the 33 letters address both unauthorised market access and the limits of player protections when a bet is placed beyond the state’s regulated system.
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