Michigan: Gaming regulator highlights crackdown on illegal gambling

Henry Williams, executive director of the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), believes the Board’s use of cease-and-desist letters against illegal operators has turned a little-used tool into national model for protecting players. When Williams ordered offshore sportsbook Bovada out of the state in May 2024, many in the industry took notice. Bovada left Michigan and other states soon followed the state’s lead in what has been described as the most aggressive state-level campaign against illegal gambling in the country. Michigan’s record goes back further.