The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has warned bettors of the dangers of betting on unlicensed platforms after it received complaints regarding nonpayment of winnings.
Henry Williams, executive director of MGCB, released a statement advising players to be more cautious after MGCB received complaints alleging difficulties in obtaining winnings and deposited refunds from certain sites that were not licensed in Michigan.
Williams highlighted the potential for personal information to be obtained by unregulated platforms and sold for criminal purposes- such as obtaining medical care or filing taxes in a fraudulent manner.
“If you share personal information with an unregulated gambling site, there are no guarantees your information won’t be sold to or used by criminals,” said Williams.
“Identity theft is the most common complaint received by the Federal Trade Commission.”
He added that MGCB does not have the power to pursue complaints against unregulated betting sites.
“Unlike regulated gambling, there is no mechanism for the MGCB to handle a patron dispute with an unregulated, offshore gambling site. Our agency does not have the authority to pursue a dispute with an unregulated site.”
The statement also detailed that 24,000 cases of identity theft had been reported in Michigan in 2020.
In October, Michigan reported a record online betting handle of $463.3m.