Michigan regulator sends cease-and-desist to unlicensed online lottery operator
Arkansas-based One Country Give ordered to shut down operations after offering online lotteries and raffles to Michigan players
The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Arkansas-based operator One Country Give, as it continues to clamp down on unlicensed firms.
The operator, which generates revenue from monthly membership sales, offers players entries into sweepstakes that are advertised on its website and social media platforms.
Those so-called sweepstakes operate as online lotteries and/or raffles under Michigan law, according to the MGCB.
The membership tiers for the lottery range from 300 entries for $15 per month at the lowest level up to 6,000 entries for $75 per month at the highest tier.
These sweepstakes are illegal under Michigan law, violating the state’s Lawful Internet Gaming Act, Michigan Gaming Control Revenue Act, and Michigan Penal Code.
The MGCB conducted an investigation into One Country Give after receiving a tip that the platform was available to Michigan citizens.
One Country Give has 14 days from the receipt of the cease-and-desist letter to stop offering Michigan-based players gambling services via its website and social media platforms.
The MGCB has said it is prepared to take “appropriate legal action” should the letter be disregarded.
MGCB executive director Henry Williams said: “The Michigan Gaming Control Board will not, and does not, tolerate activities that circumvent our laws and threaten the integrity of the highly regulated gaming industry in Michigan.
“We are committed to upholding state law to ensure a fair and honest gaming environment for all Michigan citizens, and we will keep issuing cease-and-desist letters and taking appropriate legal actions to halt illegal gaming in the state of Michigan.”
Earlier this month, the American Gaming Association (AGA) warned that regulators across the country needed to be vigilant of unlicensed sweepstake casinos.
The AGA highlighted the MGCB as an example to follow, citing an incident from 2023 when the regulator sent cease-and-desist letters to sweepstake casino operators Sweepstakes Limited and VGW Luckyland.