Michigan Gaming Control Board Sends Cease-and-Desist Order to MyBookie.ag

Ziv Chen

Last Updated: January 25, 2025 3:44 PM EST • 1 min 36 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

Michigan Wolverines center Vladislav Goldin reacts after missing a shot as we look at Michigan issuing cease-and-desist to MyBookie.ag — Pictured: Michigan Wolverines center Vladislav Goldin reacts after missing a shot.

Only legal sports betting, including our best sports betting sites, is safe in Michigan.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has ordered MyBookie.ag, an online sportsbook based in Curacao, from operating in Michigan after it was revealed that it did not possess a Michigan gaming license.

The online gaming platform currently offers Michigan players a range of casino-style games, including slots, table games, live dealer games, sports, and horse betting. MyBookie.ag also offers users a variety of payment methods, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and PayPal.

Henry Williams, Executive Director of the Michigan Gaming Control Board, expressed the MGCB’s dedication to safeguarding Michigan players from unlicensed online gaming platforms like MyBookie.ag, saying, “Our investigation into MyBookie.ag found that their operations were accessible to Michigan citizens, which violates state laws. We are taking strong action to uphold the principles of fair and legal gaming.”

The Michigan Gaming Control Board’s investigation found that MyBookie.ag breached several laws in the Wolverine State, such as the Lawful Gaming Act, the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act, and the Michigan Penal Code.

The parent company of MyBookie.ag, Duranbah Limited N.V., has 14 days to accept the terms of the cease-and-desist order and cease all operations of MyBookie.ag within Michigan. If this does not happen, the Michigan Gaming Control Board has announced that it is prepared to work with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office to pursue more legal actions. Simply put, the site isn't allowed to compete with the top Michigan sports betting apps and Michigan online casinos.

TwinSpires suspended

The Michigan Gaming Control Board isn’t unfamiliar with companies violating its online gaming laws. At the start of January, it announced that it was suspending all operations of TwinSpires, a provider of advance deposit wagering and Michigan sports betting services, after the group broke Michigan’s Horse Racing Law of 1995.

The suspension is based on TwinSpires’ refusal to stop offering advance deposit wagering on horse races to Michigan residents.

Although horse racing in Michigan has been quiet recently, with the last thoroughbred race held in 2018, Michigan’s last operational race track, Northville Downs, closed in February 2024. Thus, advance deposit wagering is prohibited without an official track license.

Without the license of an operational track, the Michigan Gaming Control Board ordered four advance deposit wagering providers—NYRAbets LLC, ODS Technologies (TVG Network), TwinSpires, and Xpressbet LLC—to cease operations.

The operators had a deadline to stop all ADW operations by January 1, 2025, yet despite this, TwinSpires continued providing advance deposit wagering to Michigan residents, breaching state laws.

Written By:
Ziv Chen

Ziv has over two decades of experience in the igaming and sports betting industry, having served in senior marketing and business development positions with both B2C and B2B companies, including Playtech and Microgaming. In 2019, Ziv decided to pursue his passion for writing and became a fulltime industry journalist, covering casino, sports, and gambling business news. He’s specialties include casino games and technology, US state gambling regulation, company performance, as well as gambling affiliates and marketing. As a Pitt graduate, Ziv is a diehard fan of all Pittsburgh sports teams, with the Steelers at the top of the list. In his free time, he enjoys reading crime fiction, biographies (mainly of sports personalities, but not only) and American history. Ziv’s Favorite quote: “We're going to pursue perfection, knowing full well we won't catch it, but we're going to relentlessly chase it," Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach.