DETROIT — The Michigan Gaming Control Board issued cease-and-desist letters Thursday to 33 offshore gambling operators it says illegally offered online casino games, sweepstakes-style games, and sports betting to Michigan residents under state gambling law.
Investigators concluded each operator offered casino-style games, sweepstakes-style games, or sports betting without a state license required by the Lawful Internet Gaming Act and the Lawful Sports Betting Act. Licensed Michigan operators must honor the Internet Gaming and Sports Betting Responsible Gaming Database that lets people voluntarily ban themselves from online gambling. Offshore operators have no such obligation.
The board warned that people who signed up for Michigan self-exclusion programs are not protected on unlicensed sites and can still open accounts, deposit money, and place bets, often without realizing the site is outside state law. Executive Director Henry Williams said choosing to self-exclude is one of the hardest decisions a person can make and that offshore sites do not respect it.
National research cited by the board from an August 2025 American Gaming Association analysis estimated Americans wager $673.6 billion a year with illegal and unregulated operators, and that the illegal market has grown 22% since 2022. The share of online casino players using only legal sites fell from 52% in 2022 to 24%, while nearly half now play on both legal and illegal sites.
Operators that ignore the letters may face more enforcement alongside the attorney general. Players can check authorized platforms at Michigan.gov/MGCB and report illegal sites to the board tip line.
