Michigan Regulator Orders Offshore Operator MyBookie.ag Out Of State

State authorities have asked another unregulated sportsbook to halt its operations in Michigan.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Curaçao-based Duranbah Limited N.V. The letter ordered the company to cease operations of its online sportsbook and casino, MyBookie.ag, in the state.

The MGCB released its announcement last week, saying that its investigation had found that the unregulated platform had violated multiple state gambling laws. The cease-and-desist letter requires MyBookie.ag to disallow Michigan sports betting and online casino services within 14 days.

If MyBookie.ag fails to comply by the Feb. 6 deadline, the MGCB said it will involve the Michigan Attorney General’s Office in further legal action.

MGCB’s MyBookie statement cites three Michigan laws

Regulated gambling apps and websites must meet safety and security requirements in the jurisdictions in which they operate. Unregulated sportsbooks are under no such obligation.

“Our investigation into MyBookie.ag found that their operations were accessible to Michigan citizens, which violates state laws,” MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said. “We are taking strong action to uphold the principles of fair and legal gaming.”

Ultimately, the MGCB stated that MyBookie.ag offered online casino gambling, sports betting and horse race betting services without a valid Michigan gambling license in violation of three state laws:

  • Lawful Internet Gaming Act — only licensed providers can offer online gambling.
  • Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act — operating an unlicensed gambling business is a felony that can result in up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.
  • Michigan Penal Code — broadly prohibits all forms of gambling in the state.

    Michigan sports betting taxes go toward school funding

    Michigan dedicates its taxes from regulated sports betting, online casinos and online poker to its statewide School Aid Fund, which bolsters K-12 public education. Schools received $501.4 million in 2024, more than $400 million of which came from online gambling.

    Given that people in the state using unregulated gambling platforms could mean less tax revenue, Michigan is incentivized to shut down these operations and direct that business to licensed, regulated sportsbooks. And it has been doing that.

    The MGCB was the first regulatory agency to issue a cease-and-desist letter to another primary offshore book, Bovada, in May 2024. Eleven more states followed suit before the end of the year, and 17 states have done so in total.

    Growing trend against unregulated sportsbooks

    Unregulated sports betting websites existed long before the Supreme Court repealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, which paved the way for states to establish legal and regulated sports betting markets. 

    Their prominence has continued, and they still receive business from customers in states with and without legal sports betting. However, the tide is turning as more regulated markets have reached maturity and begun observing the larger picture.

    Michigan joins the following states that have banned MyBookie from operating for customers in their borders: Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Each state has also barred Bovada.

    Post
    Hill Kerby has been involved in the gaming industry for more than 5 years. That started with one of his intense passions: poker (and online poker). However, since then, he has also developed a love for all verticals within online gaming, and he now writes about sports betting, icasinos, social casinos, horse betting, and ilottery in addition to his poker coverage. Hill has a background in psychology, which gives him an ability to offer rare insights and analysis in his writing. Hill is a proponent of safe, legal betting and is grateful to be able to contribute to growing the industry.

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