On 8 October 2026, the Michigan Gaming Control Board issued cease-and-desist letters to 33 offshore operators that it said had offered online casinos, sportsbooks and sweepstakes games to state residents without a Michigan licence. The regulator said unlicensed platforms are not bound by the state’s self-exclusion rules, so people who have voluntarily asked to be blocked from gambling can continue to deposit money with them. The board warned that operators which do not comply could face further enforcement through the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
33 offshore platforms named in the enforcement action
Intergame Online reported that the letters went to operators behind brands including Azartzona Casino, Basepoker, BingoMania, BitofGold, Cryptoplay, Del Oro Casino, Detective Slots and Donbet. The named group also included Genie Jackpot, iWild Casino, mBit Casino, Raging Bull Slots and The Online Casino, while iGaming Today reported that Exclusive Casino, Jurassic Slots, L0tt0, Lucky Charm Sweep, Slot Paradise, SpinsTopia and Stardust were among the recipients. The board said each of these operators had offered gambling to Michigan customers without holding the required state authorisation.
Self-exclusion protections are not honoured offshore
Licensed Michigan casinos and sportsbooks must let customers register on the Internet Gaming and Sports Betting Responsible Gaming Database, which supports voluntary self-exclusion. Once someone asks to be excluded, authorised operators are required to restrict their access. The MGCB said offshore sites face no such obligation, meaning a self-excluded player may still be able to deposit and play. Executive director Henry Williams called self-exclusion “one of the hardest and most courageous decisions” and said offshore sites “don’t respect it.” He said these platforms will accept money from a customer who has asked for help, and the board has no way to recover that deposit from an unlicensed site. This is why the regulator described unlicensed gambling as especially dangerous for people with gambling problems.
Operators warned of further legal steps
Williams said the letters were designed to warn operators that Michigan residents should not be treated as an easy market to enter without a licence, and that companies which disregard the state’s player protections should expect further contact from the regulator. AffPapa reported that the regulator warned failure to comply could result in additional enforcement action from the Michigan Department of Attorney General. That means operators which continue to accept Michigan customers after receiving a letter could face legal consequences beyond the initial notice.
Michigan’s longer campaign against offshore gambling
The October letters follow earlier enforcement action. iGaming Today noted that the MGCB said 45 additional offshore operators had been notified of violations within four months in April. The regulator has also cited an American Gaming Association study suggesting Americans wagered roughly $673 billion a year at unregulated online casinos and sportsbooks, and that many bettors did not know they were using an unlicensed site. The MGCB’s position is that unlicensed gambling undermines the regulated market and removes the player protections that licensed operators must provide.
How residents can check a site’s legal status
Gambling News reported that the MGCB advised players to use the state’s platform at Michigan.gov/MGCB to verify whether a gambling service is legal in Michigan. The regulator also asked residents to report illegal gambling websites by email or by using its anonymous tip line. These checks are intended to help players avoid unlicensed casinos, sportsbooks and sweepstakes platforms before they deposit money.
