The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has joined other state gaming regulators to highlight the fight against illegal gambling websites in the Great Lakes State and beyond.
Joining Gambling Awareness Week, which takes place between November 9 and November 13, the MGCB has urged residents to always check whether a sportsbook or a casino is licensed by the watchdog before venturing to bet or play there.
IAGR, MGCB Lead Campaign to Raise Awareness of Illegal Gambling
The Gambling Awareness Week is part of a broader initiative organized by the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) looking to pool the efforts of gaming bodies in order to raise consumer awareness about the risks of unlicensed gambling.
To help strengthen consumer safeguards, the IAGR has launched a free online tool called CheckBeforeYouPlay.org, which serves to help consumers navigate the complexity of figuring out whether a website is truly legitimate, i.e., licensed under a local gaming watchdog.
The website allows consumers anywhere in the world, and specifically in partner jurisdictions, to enter a website URL and receive a quick reply on whether the gambling operator they wish to register with is truly safe.
The MGCB is also pushing the “Play it safe. Bet legal” responsible gambling messaging in a bid to strengthen consumer safeguards. The messaging is transmitted through radio public service announcements, with MGCB executive director Henry Williams noting on the initiative:
“Illegal gambling doesn’t stop at state or national borders, and neither can our response. Working with IAGR and our fellow regulators lets us share information and act faster to protect players here in Michigan and around the world.”
MGCB Cautions Consumers to Be Wary of Illegal Gambling Sites
Apart from taking part in the campaign, the MGCB has been strengthening its overall enforcement against illegal gambling websites – going after legacy offshore sportsbooks and online casinos, but also taking aim at prediction market platforms offering sports event contracts.
On this last account, the MGCB has been clashing with Kalshi, Polymarket US, Coinbase and Robinhood, none of which has complied with a request by the regulator to stop offering sports event contracts in the state.
The regulator reminded that unlicensed products are illegal under state laws and that users are urged to check the legitimacy of gambling websites before participating in any form of gambling.
The MGCB also cautioned that there are certain tell-tale signs to help users immediately distinguish whether websites have been licensed in the state, noting that operators that accept cryptocurrencies or promise guaranteed wins are best avoided altogether.