Michigan cracks down on 45 illegal offshore casinos and sportsbooks

Michigan is one of America's most successful iGaming markets, but it still has a big problem: illegal offshore operators. The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has taken steps to eliminate this problem by issuing 45 cease-and-desist orders to unlicensed offshore casinos and sportsbooks. Fortunately, the Wolverine State has many safe, licensed online casinos like PlayGunLake, which offers up to $1,000 in lossback casino credits and 250 bonus spins when you sign up with promo code SLINECAS:

The MGCB sent the 45 cease-and-desist (C&D) letters to offshore gambling sites over the past four months. Its orders target some of the biggest unlicensed online casinos and sports betting sites operating in Michigan and many other states. 

In a statement issued through the Michigan government website, MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams says his agency has a zero-tolerance policy for unlawful gambling sites:

"The scope of this action sends a clear message: Michigan will not tolerate illegal operators targeting our residents or undermining the lawful businesses that have invested in complying with state law.

"Our investigators work with unwavering focus to identify, document, and act against every unlicensed site that puts Michigan players at risk. This is an ongoing effort, and we will continue to take action against illegal gambling operators." 

The MGCB's cease-and-desist orders may only be the first step in combating offshore gambling sites. The regulator states that non-compliant operators could face "additional civil and criminal measures." It also notes that it works closely with law enforcement to accomplish its goals.

If Michigan does take further action, it wouldn't be the first state to do so. Kentucky famously seized 141 offshore gambling domain names in 2008 when those operators failed to comply with C&D orders. 

It claimed that the sites were violating local laws by acting as illegal "gambling devices." The Kentucky Court of Appeals later overturned the domain seizures, noting that classifying the domain names as gambling devices was a stretch.

One key difference between the Bluegrass State in 2008 and Michigan today is that the latter has an established iCasino market. Therefore, it potentially has stronger grounds to pursue these illegal gambling sites.

As noted in the MGCB's statement, offshore casinos operate outside of state regulations and don't offer the same player protections as licensed Michigan online casinos. These unlawful sites provide no guarantees on fair gaming, payment timeframes, or problem gambler safety.

They're based in offshore jurisdictions like Curaçao and Anjouan, where there's no real involvement from regulators during player-operator disputes. Unlicensed gaming sites also don't offer trusted online casino payment methods like ACH banking, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Trustly.

Unlike in some states, Michiganians don't have to rely on offshore sites to play at a real money online casino. There are well over a dozen iCasinos available within state borders.

Each of these online casinos features a unique welcome promo for new players. For example, Hard Rock Bet Casino currently offers up to $1,000 in lossback casino credits and 500 bonus spins when you sign up here:

These legal and licensed casino apps also offer the same player protections that are lacking at unlawful gaming sites. They feature trustworthy payment options, avenues for player dispute resolutions, and fair games backed by MGCB approval.

Jeremy Olson