Michigan Moves to Block Bovada as War on Offshore Sites Gathers Pace

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has announced that it has issued a cease and desist letter to Harp Media B.V., the company that operates online betting sites Bovada.com and Bovada.lv.

In its statement, the MGCB said that Bovada is in violation of local gaming laws including:

Michigan Moves to Block Bovada as War on Offshore Sites Gathers Pace
• Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act
• Michigan Penal Code

It goes on to outline that Bovada is not a state-licensed internet gaming operator and not recognized as lawful by the state of Michigan as per the Lawful Internet Act. It also notes that any gambling operations in the state are prohibited unless licensed under the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act.

Harp Media B.V. now has 14 days to take action to prevent people in Michigan from accessing its gambling websites. If it fails to do so, the MGCB will take further legal action.

Speaking of the move MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said:

This is not the first time that states have moved against offshore gambling sites. In 2022, New Jersey sent cease and desist letters to multiple gambling operators. Following the move, the majority of non-state licensed sites removed access to their products within the Garden State.

Michigan has the lowest effective tax rate for sports-betting in the US at 5.2%

Bovada stopped accepting customers in New York state in June 2021 as a result of the newly introduced regulation and restrictions on players within the state.

Natasha Lyndon

Based in London, Natasha is a former sports journalist with experience working for some of the biggest athletes & brands in the world of sports and iGaming.