The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) announced that funding distributed to booster clubs has now reached $150,000 through its High School Boosters Program. Another $100,000 in funding will become available beginning Oct. 1. The announcement continues Michigan’s push to address underage gambling risks.
More than 30 booster clubs across Michigan have received funding through the High School Boosters Program.
The MGCB added another $50,000 to the program for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, with all of that money already awarded. That brought total funding distributed through the initiative to $150,000. Another $100,000 will become available Oct. 1, when Michigan begins its 2027 fiscal year.
Participating organizations can receive up to $4,000 for sharing MGCB-approved educational messages about the risks of underage gambling. Those messages can appear on social media, scoreboards, event programs, school newsletters, and other channels.
The approach gives the MGCB a way to put responsible gaming messaging directly into school communities. Instead of relying entirely on statewide advertising, the program allows gambling prevention information to reach students through familiar environments. The hope is that this messaging can be more effective this way.
The booster funding is part of the MGCB’s broader Don’t Bet on Your Future campaign, which launched earlier this year to address youth exposure to gambling.
Michigan previously expanded its responsible gaming resources with a youth prevention campaign. The initiative includes educational resources for youth, families, and schools, along with advertising designed to discourage underage gambling.
Young sports fans can be exposed to betting content through broadcasts, advertising, and social media before reaching legal gambling age. This has made youth more vulnerable to betting than ever before.
To that end, Michigan is taking a proactive approach to provide education as an early intervention tool, attempting to deter young people from placing sports wagers.
The MGCB highlighted the funding milestone during Responsible Gaming Education Month, a national initiative led by the American Gaming Association.
Michigan is not alone in increasing its focus on responsible gaming during September. Arizona also recently expanded its responsible gaming push with a statewide campaign focused on betting education, safer gambling habits, and access to support resources.
In addition to enhancing state responsible gaming programs, the MGCB has also taken an aggressive approach toward unlicensed gambling sites. Earlier this year, the regulator issued cease-and-desist orders to more than 40 offshore gambling platforms.
That enforcement complements the state’s responsible gaming strategy. Licensed Michigan operators are subject to regulatory oversight and responsible gaming requirements, while offshore platforms operate outside the state’s regulated system. That means that players who use offshore sites are at risk, since there aren’t the same consumer protections there.
By combining enforcement against unlicensed operators with education aimed at younger residents, Michigan is addressing gambling-related risks from multiple angles.
