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State of Play’s TL;DR
- Michigan is now providing free Gamban licenses to any resident who wants to block online gambling across all major devices.
- This move expands Michigan’s responsible gaming toolkit and gives bettors a practical, no-cost option to limit access to casinos, sportsbooks, and unregulated sites.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has partnered with Gamban to make free apps available to all Michigan residents. Options range from one to five years at no cost.
Gamban is a device-level blocking app that restricts access to gambling sites and apps. It works on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS, and is designed to be resistant to removal. Residents can claim a license via Michigan.gov/MGCB and install coverage across unlimited household devices; live technical support is available.
The program is part of the board’s expanded responsible gambling framework, said MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams.
“Our partnership with Gamban gives anyone who wants help a free, proven tool to block access to online gambling – instantly and across all their devices.”
App also blocks unregulated, black market sites
The free Gamban licenses offer an immediate, practical barrier to impulsive or problematic gambling. The app blocks:
- Licensed and unlicensed casino games
- Sports betting
- Poker
- Social and sweepstakes casinos
- Crypto wagering
- NFT-based betting
There’s no requirement to enroll in MGCB’s self-exclusion programs to claim a license, though those already on the Disassociated Persons List or Responsible Gaming Database are encouraged to add this layer.
Operators should expect this to strengthen consumer protections and may see fewer self-excluded or problem gamblers transacting online, while regulators gain another tool to demonstrate a layered harm-reduction approach.
Because Gamban blocks black market sites as well, the protection extends beyond Michigan-licensed operators and helps limit access to unregulated offerings that can pose greater consumer risk.
Based on a release by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
