Gambling in the USA

MGCB Executive Director Meets with Flint City Officials to Discuss Ways to Combat Illegal Gaming

Published

2 years ago

September 20, 2023

In an effort to combat illegal gaming activities, Michigan Gaming Control Board Executive Director Henry Williams recently met with Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley and State Rep. Cynthia Neeley (D-Flint) to discuss strategies to help deter and crack down on illegal gaming operations in the city.

During their August 29 conversation, the officials also talked about the impact of storefront casinos and illegal gaming on residents and how such establishments are a nuisance for the city, tarnishing the reputations of regulated, legitimate gaming establishments.

“As a regulator, it’s important to me to have face-to-face conversations with area leaders so that we can share our knowledge and gain a more comprehensive understanding of illegal gaming issues, especially from their local perspective. I look forward to working with Mayor Neeley on the city’s efforts to prevent individuals from reopening a place of business under a new name in a location that was previously cited for illegal gaming operation concerns, minimize risks to his community from such establishments, and help protect Flint residents from harm,” Williams said.

A week before the leaders’ meeting, the MGCB seized 50 gambling devices and $13,260 in suspected gambling proceeds on August 23 from an alleged illegal storefront casino that was operating under the name of The Flint Arcade, located at 3301 Corunna Road in Flint. Authorities had previously conducted a raid at the same location a year earlier, on Aug. 18, 2022, when the MGCB investigated suspected illegal gambling at The Cellular Vault. That search yielded 43 computers used for gambling and $2,572.48 in winnings and gambling proceeds.

“It is important to protect the Flint community from predatory illegal gaming operations, and I thank Director Williams for his continued partnership in this effort. These unwelcome operations threaten public safety by creating environments where other criminal activity can thrive,” Mayor Neeley said.

“By working together to implement comprehensive measures — from strengthening laws and regulatory frameworks to raising awareness about the issue of illegal gaming machines — we can help reduce the prevalence of illegal gaming in our communities. I look forward to continuing this conversation with MGCB Executive Director Williams and appreciate the time he took to visit Flint and discuss this important issue, and I will do what I can to help advance any necessary changes to the law in my capacity serving with the Michigan Legislature,” Rep. Neeley said.

Unlicensed casinos, unauthorized online gambling platforms, underground sports-betting operations, or any other form of wagering that is not regulated by the MGCB are all considered forms of illegal gaming. As a result of MGCB investigations from January 2015 through July 2023, a total of 1195 illegal machines and $470,401.98 have been seized. Additionally, since November 2022, 48 locations have received cease-and-desist letters involving 105 illegal machines.

“I appreciated the opportunity to meet with Mayor Neeley and Rep. Neeley in Flint and to share information with him about how the MGCB can assist with investigations and raids on alleged illegal gaming operations. Illegal gaming is a widespread problem that is not unique to Michigan, but we are prepared to act and will hold bad actors accountable who are caught breaking the law. The agency is committed to fighting illegal online gaming, pop-up illegal casinos, and the proliferation of illegal gaming machines in gas stations, bars, and other locally owned establishments — and I look forward to seeing what the Michigan Legislature can do to help us with these issues,” said Williams, who was recently selected as a finalist in the Regulator of the Year category of the 2023 American Gambling Awards.

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Gambling in the USA

NYC Mayoral Front-runner Zohran Mamdani Says He Won’t Oppose Casino Development

Published

2 days ago

August 22, 2025

Niji Narayan

As a state lawmaker, Zohran Mamdani generally opposed plans to open full-scale casinos in New York City. In June, when he walked past a billboard showing betting markets for the city mayor’s race, he even quipped that “gambling is haram,” an Arabic word meaning forbidden.

But on Wednesday, Mr. Mamdani said that he did not intend to use his newfound political clout as the Democratic mayoral nominee and the race’s front-runner to try to stop the arrival of casinos that are widely considered a fait accompli.

Speaking alongside the leader of a union pushing the gambling expansion, Mr. Mamdani told reporters that while he still had doubts about the casinos backed by corporate giants, he respected the views of state voters who had approved the downstate gambling expansion more than a decade ago.

Gambling in the USA

Better Business Bureau Reports Increase in Online Gambling Complaints

Published

2 days ago

August 22, 2025

Niji Narayan

According to research from Better Business Bureau (BBB), the illegal online gambling market is nearly four times bigger than the legal online gambling industry; $402 billion to $103 billion (estimates from Researchandmarkets.com and the American Gaming Association, respectively).

The BBB says it has received almost 200 scam reports and more than 10,000 business complaints related to online gambling and gaming since 2022. Some scam reports involved theft, while complaints showed a pattern of unclear terms and consumer misunderstandings. In some cases, consumers lost tens of thousands of dollars.

Here are some common questions with answers from the BBB regarding online gambling:

What red flags should I look out for if using gambling or gaming services?

Big promises around payouts and tempting ads without details are common. Many people aren’t aware the people they are dealing with are in countries overseas. People should also be leery of sweepstakes-style games, payment through cryptocurrency and typos in names.

How can I avoid issues with gambling or gaming companies?

Read your state and provincial laws. There are many different laws for online gambling, depending on where you live.

Check for proper licensure. Even if your state allows gambling, it may have a limited list of allowed websites. Check with your state’s gaming agency to see who is licensed.

Read the fine print. The reality of how winning and withdrawal works may be different than your first impression on a website. Check out the details of a specific service and fully understand how they work before sending them any money.

Even legitimate websites may freeze winnings. There are many reasons why a casino or sportsbook might freeze winnings, even if the money is rightfully yours. Know what actions to take if your account is frozen.

Visit BBB.org to check out a business or register a complaint and BBB.org/ScamTracker to report a scam.

Gambling in the USA

Scientific Games Wins Three 2025 International Business Awards for Supply Chain Sustainability and Technology Innovation

Published

2 days ago

August 21, 2025

Peter Tolan

OpenSports: Delivering our Technology Vision

Global Lottery Technology Supplier Wins Sustainable Supply Chain Gold Award for National Logistics Centre in UK Serving The National Lottery

Scientific Games has been honored with three prestigious accolades in the 2025 International Business Awards, recognizing the company’s leadership in supply chain sustainability and cutting-edge lottery technology solutions.

The global lottery company earned the Gold Award for Sustainable Supply Chain for its National Logistics Centre in Warrington, UK serving The National Lottery’s vast network of 40,000+ retailers as a partner to Allwyn UK. Opened in February 2024 to support Allwyn on its journey of building a net zero National Lottery, the 92,000-square-foot facility integrates advanced, technology-driven sustainability practices, including AI-powered demand forecasting and inventory management technology, dynamic routing to minimize emissions, fully electric internal transport and zero-waste operations.

Scientific Games also received two Bronze Award recognitions in the 2025 International Business Awards:

Achievement in Product Innovation for SCiQ, Scientific Games’ cutting-edge ecosystem that is transforming the way instant games are sold and managed. SCiQ delivers advanced inventory control, strengthened security and real-time sales data, providing retailers, lotteries and players with a smarter, more secure instant game experience.
Emerging Technology Solution for PlayCentral Powered by SCiQ, which integrates the company’s groundbreaking SCiQ retail ecosystem into PlayCentral HD self-service vending machines, delivering unmatched inventory control, enhanced game security and operational efficiency.

“These honors reflect the dedication of our global teams to delivering both environmental leadership and unmatched retail innovation for our lottery partners,” said Pat McHugh, CEO of Scientific Games. “From transforming the sustainability of our supply chain in partnership with Allwyn in the UK to advancing the future of instant game retailing worldwide, we’re committed to creating positive impact for our customers, players and the communities they serve.”

More than 3,600 nominations from organizations in over 60 nations were evaluated by more than 300 professionals worldwide in this year’s IBAs.

Earlier this year, Scientific Games received two Gold Annual American Business Awards for SCiQ and PlayCentral Powered by SCiQ, in the Operations Management Solutions and Emerging Technology categories, respectively.

With operations on five continents, Scientific Games provides retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services to 150 lotteries in 50 countries worldwide.