The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is no stranger to sending cease-and-desist orders to offshore operators. It is a routine part of the regulator’s playbook: identify unlicensed platforms targeting residents and put them on notice. But its latest round of enforcement, issued on April 7, stands out for a different reason.
Among the 45 illegal offshore operators named, the vast majority were the usual mix of sportsbook and casino platforms. Only a small subset, just four, were online poker rooms, but their inclusion stood out, as they were tied to two of the largest offshore networks serving the majority of the US states.
The orders included Americas Cardroom, now known as ACR Poker, and True Poker, both part of the Winning Poker Network (WPN). Also named were Sportsbetting and BetOnline, which operate on the Chico Poker Network. For an industry that has largely flown under the radar of state-level enforcement compared to offshore casinos and sportsbooks, their inclusion is notable.
That is not to say Michigan has not gone after gray-market operators before. The MGCB has previously issued similar orders to sweepstakes-based platforms, including Stake and Global Poker. But traditional offshore poker rooms, especially those catering to US players, have rarely been singled out in such actions.
The timing raises a few questions. Michigan has had a regulated online gaming market in place for more than five years. During that time, licensed operators have been offering online poker with limited liquidity compared to global pools. Meanwhile, offshore sites like ACR Poker continued to operate in most US states, including, until recently, Michigan.
Pokerfuse understands that ACR Poker exited the Michigan market in February, meaning it had already stopped serving residents before the cease-and-desist order was issued. Whether True Poker or the Chico Network skins were actively serving Michigan players at the time of the order remains unclear.
So Why Now?
When asked about the reasoning behind the timing and the apparent shift toward targeting offshore poker rooms, the MGCB kept its response measured. The regulator noted that it does not discuss “the status of investigations or the factors involved in prioritizing specific enforcement actions.” Still, it offered some insight into its recent approach.
“As Michigan’s regulated online gaming market has matured, the agency has significantly increased its enforcement efforts against illegal internet gaming operators,” the MGCB said, adding that over the past two years, it has stepped up actions against unlicensed sites targeting residents.
In other words, this may not be about poker specifically, but rather part of a wider crackdown that is now catching up with segments previously left alone.
The regulator also reiterated its core stance: “Our focus is to address illegal gaming in the State of Michigan that is offered by any entity or individual not licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.” It’s a straightforward message, but one that now clearly extends to offshore poker networks as well.
Michigan isn’t new to online poker. The first Michigan online poker room launched back in 2021, and today several licensed operators are active in the market, including PokerStars on FanDuel, WSOP Online, BetMGM Poker, and BetRivers Poker.
All of these platforms are also linked to multi-state shared liquidity pools through MSIGA, connecting Michigan players with those in states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania, while WSOP Online extends that network further to Nevada. BetRivers Poker, meanwhile, shares liquidity with four states, including Delaware and West Virginia, along with Pennsylvania and Michigan.
In that environment, the continued presence of offshore poker rooms becomes harder to overlook. In the early days, limited player pools often pushed players toward global sites, but Michigan now has a more mature market with established operators and shared liquidity.
The MGCB’s latest action, therefore, feels less like routine housekeeping and more like a move to tighten control over a market that, until recently, allowed offshore poker to operate in the background. It may have taken a few years for enforcement to reach this point, but the inclusion of WPN and Chico Network skins suggests that the window is starting to close.
