Michigan regulator takes action to shut down MyBookie

Michigan’s gaming regulator has confirmed it is continuing its onslaught against illegal operators, with the latest crackdown initiated against the company behind MyBookie. 

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has issued a cease-and-desist instruction to Duranbah Limited NV, the entity responsible for the Curaca-based gambling platform. 

MyBookie provides players with options to bet across casino games, slots, horse racing, and sports, but crucially, the company does not hold a license to operate in the Great Lakes State. 

The MGCB outlined that MyBookie.ag offers various payment methods for deposits, including various credit and debit cards, PayPal, and various cryptocurrencies, but it only permits withdrawals via Bitcoin or wire transfer.

The small print at the foot of MyBookie’s website states the outlet is a “North America trusted sportsbook and bookmaker” and a legal online betting site, but it doesn’t quite provide full disclosure on the situation in states like Michigan. 

Meanwhile in Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan basketball is under investigation due to suspicious betting activity.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board has hit Curacao-based MyBookie with a cease-and-desist letter, as the regulator did in the past with Bovada.

The company operating MyBookie has 14 days from receipt to stop taking bets from Michigan residents. Bovada now restricts MI access. pic.twitter.com/wHf2BI0g9M

— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) January 23, 2025

MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said that the agency is focused on safeguarding consumers and enforcing Michigan gaming laws.

“Our investigation into MyBookie.ag found that their operations were accessible to Michigan citizens, which violates state laws,” he said in a statement. 

“We are taking strong action to uphold the principles of fair and legal gaming.

Duranbah Limited now has 14 days to pull the plug on its gambling services for Michigan residents, otherwise, legal action is likely to follow. The MGCB has intimated it is prepared to liaise with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office if required.

This type of enforcement is not a new development in Michigan after the MGCB took a similar stance against another Curacao-based platform, Bovada, last year.

That action led to a domino effect in states such as Colorado, West Virginia, Connecticut, D.C., Ohio, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Massachusetts, and most recently, New Hampshire. The MGCB has also targeted several other non-licensed operators. 

Bovada chose to comply and work with regulators and authorities to shut down its operations in the respective jurisdictions, leading others to follow suit. If MyBookie takes the same path, the situation is likely to be replicated or it may choose to challenge and contest the demands to close.

With the clock ticking on the cease-and-desist letter, we won’t have to wait long to find out.

Image credit: Grok/X

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