The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has issued cease-and-desist letters to 33 offshore gambling operators that it says offered online casino games, sweepstakes-style products or sports betting to residents without a state licence.
The regulator also warned that people enrolled in Michigan’s self-exclusion programme remain vulnerable on offshore sites because those operators do not have to honor the state’s Internet Gaming and Sports Betting Responsible Gaming Database.
“Choosing to self-exclude is one of the hardest and most courageous decisions a person can make, and in Michigan’s legal market, that choice is respected,” said MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams in a press release. “Offshore sites don’t respect it. They will take a deposit from someone who has asked for help, and the MGCB has no way to help that person get it back. These 33 letters put operators on notice that our residents are not an untapped market, and that anyone who thinks they can ignore our protections will hear from us.”
MGCB Names Operators in Latest Enforcement Action
The letters were sent to Azartzona Casino, Basepoker, BingoMania, BitofGold, Cryptoplay, Del Oro Casino, Detective Slots, Donbet, Exclusive Casino, Genie Jackpot and Guangzhou Snail Interactive Technology Co., Ltd.
Also named were Immersion Casino Online, iWild Casino, JacksPay, Jurassic Slots, L0tt0, Lucky Charm Sweep, Lucky Rebel, Magicianbet, mBit Casino and Odds Maker.
The remaining operators are 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.
The MGCB said its investigations found that all 33 offered gambling products to Michigan residents without state authorization.
Michigan law requires companies offering internet casino gaming or sports wagering to hold the relevant state licence. Operators that ignore cease-and-desist directives may face further action involving the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
Offshore Sites Fall Outside Michigan Safeguards
Licensed operators must comply with state responsible gambling requirements, including self-exclusion and deposit controls.
Offshore platforms do not provide the same regulatory protections. The MGCB said customers may also lack access to independent game testing, Michigan standards for personal and financial data protection, and regulatory assistance when disputes arise.
That means a player who has voluntarily excluded from legal online gambling can still open an account and deposit with an offshore site.
The regulator also warned that it may be unable to help when an unlicensed operator withholds winnings or closes an account.
Illegal Gambling Market Remains Large
The MGCB cited an August 2025 American Gaming Association analysis estimating that Americans wager $673.6 billion annually with illegal and unregulated operators.
The AGA found that the illegal market had grown 22% since its previous study in 2022.
Its research also showed that the proportion of online casino players using only legal sites declined from 52% in 2022 to 24%. Nearly half used both legal and illegal platforms.
Americans also placed an estimated $84 billion in wagers with illegal bookies and offshore sportsbooks during the period covered by the study, while one in 10 sports bettors used illegal sources exclusively.
Earlier AGA research found that 70% of bettors who placed most of their wagers with illegal operators believed they were using only legal sportsbooks or splitting their activity evenly between legal and illegal providers.
The latest enforcement action follows an April 2026 announcement in which the MGCB said it had sent cease-and-desist letters to 45 offshore operators over a four-month period.
Michigan has also recently reached agreements affecting sports-related event contracts offered by Coinbase and Robinhood.