Michigan online gambling complaints: the operator and the MGCB

In Michigan, a complaint about a licensed online casino, poker site or sportsbook starts with a written complaint to the operator. Under the rules cited on the Michigan Gaming Control Board's complaint form, the operator must investigate and send a written response within 10 calendar days, and that response must tell you about your right to go to the Board. If you are still dissatisfied, you can file with the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), online or on paper form MGCB-AD-2064, with a copy of your complaint and the operator's reply (MGCB guidance, checked October 2026).

Who regulates online gambling in Michigan?

The MGCB licenses and regulates internet gaming under the Lawful Internet Gaming Act and online sports betting under the Lawful Sports Betting Act, with detailed administrative rules for each. Its internet gaming and sports betting complaint page lists the licensed providers, each with a complaint email address. Our guide to US state gambling licences explains how to check a site against a state list before you deposit.

Step 1: send the operator a written complaint

The MGCB says you must try to resolve the dispute with the internet gaming provider before filing with the Board. Its complaint page lists a complaint email address for each licensed provider. The Board asks you to:

1. Email the provider's complaint address and allow at least 10 days for a response.
2. Save a copy of your email.
3. If there is no response, or the issue is not addressed after 10 business days, return to the MGCB site to file.

The Board's form (Rev 7/25) states the underlying rule more precisely: the operator or platform provider must investigate and respond in writing within 10 calendar days of receiving the complaint, and must tell you about your right to complain to the Board.

Our gambling complaint evidence checklist lists what to save first. For a withdrawal that has not arrived, see what to do when a casino won't pay out.

Step 2: file with the MGCB

You can file if you believe Michigan's internet gaming or sports betting law, its administrative rules, or the site's own terms of service were not followed, and you have already complained in writing to the operator. The Board prefers electronic filing through its online portal; the paper option is form MGCB-AD-2064, which can be mailed to the Board's Detroit office.

The form asks for:

• your name, address, phone and email, and your account number;
• the date and time of the incident, the complaint type, the operator or platform provider, and your screen name;
• the operator's ticket or complaint number, if you have one;
• a summary of the incident and a summary of the operator's response; and
• your signature and the date.

The online route asks whether you complained in writing to the operator and can provide its written response, so have both ready to attach.

What the MGCB will and will not do

The form states that the Board may investigate a complaint and may direct an operator or platform provider to take corrective action it considers appropriate. It also sets clear limits:

• A participant complaint is not a required first stage of the Board's disciplinary or investigative process.
• You will not be told about investigations or disciplinary processes; that information is confidential.
• You will receive notice that the Board received your form.

The MGCB does not name an independent ADR body for online disputes in the materials we reviewed. ADR, alternative dispute resolution, means a free independent service that decides disputes outside court; in Michigan, the step after the operator is the Board.

What time limits apply?

What should your complaint include?

Keep it factual and in date order: account number, screen name, date and time, game or bet, amount, any ticket or round ID, and the outcome you want. The Board asks whether you complained in writing and can show the operator's written response, so keep each email. Our guide on how to write a gambling complaint timeline shows the format.

How do you keep track of reference numbers?

Record the operator's ticket number, the date you sent your written complaint, the date of its reply and the Board's receipt notice. Keep the emails themselves, not only screenshots. What happens after a gambling complaint covers the waiting period.

What if the site is unlicensed or offshore?

In a December 2021 warning, the MGCB's then executive director said the agency "does not have the authority to pursue a dispute with an unregulated site." The Board said players of unregulated sites have reported winnings not being paid and deposits not refunded, and that their personal information may end up with criminals. Check that the operator appears among the licensed providers on the MGCB's complaint page before you deposit.

Watch out for paid "recovery" services

Complaining to the operator and to the MGCB costs nothing. The Federal Trade Commission advises never paying upfront for a refund or help with one, and says government agencies and legitimate organisations will never ask for money to help you get a refund. Hub of Luck cannot recover funds or influence any operator or regulator. Our guide on why people who have lost money are often contacted again explains how these approaches work. If gambling is causing problems, our safer gambling page lists help and self-exclusion tools.

In practice

1. Check that the operator appears among the licensed providers on the MGCB's complaint page.
2. Email the operator's complaint address listed by the MGCB, and save the sent email.
3. Wait for a written reply; the rules give the operator 10 calendar days.
4. If you are still dissatisfied, file through the MGCB's online portal or on form MGCB-AD-2064.
5. Attach your complaint, the operator's reply and your evidence.
6. Keep the Board's receipt notice with your timeline, and expect no update on any investigation.