Michigan adds more Gamban licences after first batch runs out

MGCB purchased an additional 100 Gamban licences and made the blocking software free for state residents. Blask data shows the market context around this move: how online gambling demand was developing when the licences appeared.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) purchased an additional 100 Gamban licences for state residents in May 2026. The programme gives Michigan residents free access to Gamban, an app that blocks all online gambling content on devices regardless of the site’s regulatory status. The blocking covers online casinos, sports betting, poker, social casinos and NFT-based betting. Licences are issued for a period from one to five years. Registration in the self-exclusion programme is not required.

MGCB bought an additional 100 Gamban licenses one month after the launch of the free blocking software programme. More than 80 of them were used in the first two weeks.

Blask data shows Michigan’s demand cooldown

Over the last 12 months, Michigan generated $4.9B in CEB. That figure exceeds the CEB recorded for Indonesia ($4.0B), Japan ($3.6B), and South Africa ($3.4B) over the same period. At the same time, short-term Blask Index dynamics point to cooling demand: from January to April 2026, the indicator fell by around 20%.

At the brand level, the picture is also mixed, but the largest operators are moving down. FanDuel, Michigan’s market leader by BAP with a 21.52% share, recorded a 23.22% YoY decline in Blask Index. DraftKings, another major licensed operator, fell by 15.2% YoY. BetMGM also declined by 26.38% YoY.

Against this backdrop, MGCB’s decision to purchase another 100 free Gamban licences looks less like a reaction to a sharp rise in demand and more like a continuation of an infrastructure model for player protection. The regulator is expanding access to blocking software in advance, while the market remains large by CEB but a search-based demand for leading operators shows signs of decline.