The Michigan Gaming Control Board continues to go after gambling sites and online casinos that have not obtained the necessary license to operate in the Great Lakes State.

The regulator has even announced itself for a more concentrated cross-jurisdictional effort to fight offshore gambling in the United States and has gone on to issue cease-and-desist letters to a number of websites, including MyBookie.ag in January.

MGCB sets 14 days for named gambling sites to leave state

Now, the regulator is going after nine online casinos, and has issued them the customary cease-and-desist letters, the MGCB confirmed in an official statement shared on its website. The websites in question provide different genres of chance games, including slots, roulette, craps, poker, and blackjack, as well as sports and horse racing.

The nine websites have the customary 14-day period to comply or face tougher action, with the MGCB previously threatening to refer the matter to the state’s Attorney General’s Office. The new websites thus targeted by the regulator are:

• BetAnySports (BAS)
• CoolCat Casino
• Diamond Sportsbook International, d/b/a BetDSI.eu (BetDSI)
• Solar Game LTD and Busan Trade Office (Go Go Gold)
• My Dreams Casino
• NonStop casino
• Palace of Chance
• Xbet Casino
• WagerWeb

In a statement, MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams spoke about the need to push back against such forms of gambling. He said that the aforementioned domains and companies operated in Michigan in breach of local laws and while posing a danger to players.

"Our role is to protect Michigan residents by ensuring that all online gambling activities are carried out legally and responsibly. These operators have 14 days to cease their illegal activities or face further legal action," Williams added.

The MGCB cited a 2022 report by the American Gaming Association, a trade group, to emphasize the importance of dealing with unregulated gambling which may see as much as $510bn wagered by Americans on offshore gambling sites.

Offshore gambling sites pose a threat to consumers and legal businesses

These figures are likely much lower since 2023, however, as the mass legalization of the gambling market at home has made it possible for more people to wager with more convenient sportsbooks and casinos.

Regulators across the United States have gone after prominent brands such as BetOnline, Bovada, and MyBookie, sweepstakes and other unauthorized websites in recent months, indicating that the watchdogs have finally caught up to the risks that these websites pose, and the best way to address them is to leverage each regulator’s legal standing.

A more unified front against the offshore sector, as the one suggested by the MGCB, may indeed be coming at long last.

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