Michigan’s gambling regulator has joined an international campaign urging residents to verify that online casinos and sportsbooks are licensed before they deposit money or place a bet. Illegal Gambling Awareness Week runs through Friday, Nov. 13, bringing together regulators under the International Association of Gaming Regulators’ first coordinated effort focused on unlicensed online gambling.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board is using the message “Play it safe. Bet legal.” The campaign directs consumers to CheckBeforeYouPlay.org, a tool contributed by regulatory technology company Sharp Vision that searches regulatory records and other verified public sources for licensing information in participating jurisdictions.
The site is intended to counter the assumption that a polished website or familiar brand is necessarily licensed. IAGR chief executive Kevin Mullally said consumers can mistake visibility for trust, despite not knowing whether a site is authorised where they are playing.
Michigan law requires companies to hold an MGCB licence to provide internet gaming or sports wagering in the state. Legal online casino games, poker and sports betting are limited to people aged 21 or older. Licensed operators must protect player funds and personal information, offer responsible-gambling controls including deposit and time limits, honour the state’s Responsible Gaming Database and provide a route for customers to complain to the regulator.
Those safeguards do not apply to offshore gambling websites, unlicensed or unregulated sweepstakes casinos, or prediction markets offering sports-event contracts without a Michigan licence. The board has warned consumers to be wary of sites that accept only cryptocurrency, promise guaranteed winnings or do not check users’ ages and identities.
The board has also targeted offshore operators through enforcement action. It announced cease-and-desist letters to 32 operators on Oct. 8 after finding they were offering casino games, sweepstakes-style games or sports betting to Michigan residents without state licences. In April, it said it had issued orders to 45 offshore operators during the preceding four months.
The board is continuing its radio public-service announcements after the international campaign concludes. Residents can report suspected illegal gambling at 1-888-314-2682 or [email protected], while the Michigan Problem Gambling Helpline offers free, confidential support around the clock at 1-800-GAMBLER.
