The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is telling its constituents to steer clear of black market sports betting sites. This comes after a slew of Michiganders fell prey to unlicensed gaming sites that ran off with their winnings and, most likely, their personal information.
Henry Williams, executive director of the MGCB sounded the alarm in a statement released earlier this week. According to Williams, an unspecified number of Michigan players have approached the MGCB seeking help in obtaining refunds and winnings from black market sites, even though sports betting through a licensed operator is perfectly legal in the state. (Williams doesn’t specify whether not the players knew they playing on black market sites.)
The MGCB, as Williams points out in his statement, has no regulatory authority over unlicensed sports betting sites and can do little to protect their victims. “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,” he said in a statement reported on by iGB North America.
Williams pointed out that black market sports betting sites not only are likely to steal your money, they’re also a good place to get your identity stolen, too. “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. Identity theft is the most common complaint received by the Federal Trade Commission,” he added.