The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has sent cease-and-desist letters to 33 offshore gambling operators offering online casino games, sweepstakes-style games, and sports betting to Michigan residents without a state license.
The agency also warned that residents enrolled in Michigan’s self-exclusion programs receive no protection when they play on unlicensed sites.
The 33 operators on notice
The MGCB sent the letters after its investigations found that each company offered casino-style games, sweepstakes-style games or sports betting to Michigan residents but did not hold a state license.
Recipients include the operators of Azartzona Casino, Basepoker, BingoMania, BitofGold, Cryptoplay, Del Oro Casino, Detective Slots, Donbet, Exclusive Casino, Genie Jackpot and Guangzhou Snail Interactive Technology Co., Ltd.
Other operators on the list are Immersion Casino Online, iWild Casino, JacksPay, Jurassic Slots, L0tt0, Lucky Charm Sweep, Lucky Rebel, Magicianbet, mBit Casino, Odds Maker and Raging Bull Slots.
In addition, the regulator sent letters to the operators of 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.
Self-exclusion ends at the state line
Licensed operators in Michigan must honor the Internet Gaming and Sports Betting Responsible Gaming Database, a tool that allows individuals to voluntarily ban themselves from online gambling. Offshore operators carry no such obligation.
For that reason, a person who has decided to stop gambling can still create an account, make deposits and place wagers on an unlicensed site, and in many cases that person does not know the site operates outside Michigan law.
“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.
“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.”
Offshore wagering by the numbers
An August 2025 analysis from the American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates that Americans wager $673.6 billion each year with illegal and unregulated gambling operators, offshore sites included.
The report found that the illegal market has grown 22% since the AGA’s previous report in 2022, and a sharp rise in illegal online casino play contributed in part to that growth.
The same study shows that online casino players increasingly use illegal sites. The share of online casino players who use only legal sites fell from 52% in 2022 to 24%, while nearly half now play on both legal and illegal sites, which is almost three times the earlier rate.
The AGA also estimated that Americans placed $84 billion in bets with illegal bookies and offshore sportsbooks in the year the study covered, and that one in 10 sports bettors wager only through illegal sources.
According to the MGCB, many sports bettors may not realize they are betting illegally. Earlier AGA consumer research found that 70% of sports bettors who placed most of their wagers with illegal operators believed they bet only with legal sportsbooks or split their bets evenly between legal and illegal ones.
Players on offshore sites cannot access Michigan self-exclusion, deposit limits, or other responsible gaming tools that licensed operators must provide. In addition, games on these sites undergo no independent testing for fairness, personal and financial information receives no protection under Michigan’s regulatory standards, and players have no recourse through the MGCB if an operator withholds winnings or closes an account.
An ongoing enforcement campaign
The latest letters follow earlier action from the regulator. In April 2026, the MGCB announced that it had sent cease-and-desist letters to 45 offshore operators over a four-month period.
The Lawful Internet Gaming Act, the Lawful Sports Betting Act, and related state statutes require companies to hold an MGCB license before they offer internet gaming or sports wagering in Michigan. Operators that disregard cease-and-desist directives may face further enforcement action in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Attorney General.