The MGCB Delivers Cease-And-Desist Letters to US and Foreign iGaming Enterprises Due to Illegal Operations
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Three online gaming companies, two based in the United States and one abroad, received cease-and-desist letters from the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) as part of its ongoing efforts to put an end to illegal gaming operations in the state. The investigations revealed the companies were providing online gaming in Michigan without the necessary licenses.
Cease-and-desist letters were sent to PredictionStrike Inc., located in Bay Shore, New York; Sweepstakes Limited (Stake.us), located in Limassol, Cyprus; and VGW LuckyLand, Inc. (VGW), located in San Francisco, California. VGW Holdings Ltd. is a global technology online social gaming company with its headquarters in Australia.
Henry Williams, executive director of the MGCB, said that illicit gaming enterprises are not wanted in Michigan and that gambling laws are in place for a purpose. Nobody wants companies that operate outside the law to have access to Michigan residents, leaving them defenseless because they play on unregulated websites where they have no legal recourse and drain money from local communities because they don’t pay taxes as a regulated, legal MI gambling establishment would.
Among the infractions committed by the companies are:
- Providing online gaming and sports betting in Michigan without holding a valid license to operate as an online gaming and sports betting operator in the state (PredictionStrike);
- Promoting an unauthorized online raffle and/or lottery to consumers who purchase its goods via its website (Stake.us);
- Providing an online game where players may risk real money in exchange for the chance to win real money, so engaging in illicit gambling (VGW).
