The Michigan Gaming Control Board has joined regulators worldwide for the first Illegal Gambling Awareness Week, urging residents to establish whether an online casino or sportsbook is licensed in Michigan before they bet, deposit money or share personal information.
The Nov. 9-13 campaign was organized by the International Association of Gaming Regulators as its first internationally coordinated effort focused on the risks of unlicensed online gambling. Michigan is using the message, “Play it safe. Bet legal,” and will continue radio public-service announcements throughout November.
The campaign coincides with the launch of CheckBeforeYouPlay.org, a free service that lets users enter a gambling website’s address to view available licensing information in participating IAGR jurisdictions. Sharp Vision, a Paris-based regulatory-technology company, contributed the tool, which draws on regulatory records and other verified public sources.
The checker does not cover every gambling market, and a licence in one jurisdiction does not authorize an operator to accept customers everywhere. Users should therefore also consult the relevant national or state regulator. IAGR said players at unlicensed sites can face unpaid winnings, limited avenues for disputes, misuse of financial or personal data, and weaker responsible-gambling safeguards.
Michigan-licensed online casinos and sportsbooks must verify that players are at least 21, protect funds and personal information, and provide tools including deposit and time limits. They must also honor the state’s Responsible Gaming Database and offer a route for players to lodge complaints with the board.
Those requirements do not apply to offshore websites, unlicensed sweepstakes casinos or prediction markets offering sports contracts without a Michigan licence. The board has sent hundreds of cease-and-desist letters to unlicensed online gambling operators.
The awareness campaign follows Michigan’s continuing action against sports-event contract platforms. The Department of Attorney General secured a preliminary injunction against Kalshi in September, while Coinbase agreed in October to stop offering sports-related event contracts to Michigan customers after a similar agreement with Robinhood. Polymarket US agreed on Oct. 28 to stop accepting new Michigan sports-contract business and close residents’ open contracts by Nov. 25. None of the four platforms is licensed by the MGCB to accept sports wagers in the state.
Residents seeking gambling support can call the Michigan Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER, which provides free and confidential assistance around the clock, or enroll in the Responsible Gaming Database to exclude themselves from licensed gambling.
