Michigan Casino Executive Profile: Raquel Buari, Vice Present of Compliance at Four Winds Casinos
Ms. Raquel (Burton) Buari is the Vice President of Compliance at Four Winds Casinos, owned and operated by the Pokagon Band, was recently recognized by Profile Magazine. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies from Ball State University, and she achieved her JD from Valparaiso University Law School. Ms. Buari is a licensed attorney in the State of Michigan and is a certified Compliance and Ethics Professional through the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics. She also dedicates herself to problem gaming efforts, as she serves as a Board Member of the National Council, Indiana Council, and Michigan Association on Problem Gaming. Her success is further proven by her receipt of The Global Gaming Business Magazine’s “40 Under 40” Award in 2017. View the full article here.
Michigan Gaming Control Board Joins Gaming States Coalition Urging USDOJ to Prioritize Combating Illegal, Offshore Sportsbooks and Online Casinos
In a press release issued by The Michigan Gaming Control Board (“MGCB”), the MGCB has joined a coalition of seven gaming states’ regulators urging the U.S. Department of Justice (“USDOJ”) to make combating illegal, offshore sportsbooks and online casinos a priority.
MGCB Executive Henry Williams and fellow state regulators including Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Nevada asked Attorney General Merrick Garland in an April 28 letter, to address the threats offshore illegal gambling poses that state regulators cannot tackle alone.
“In Michigan, strict laws and rules govern internet gaming and sports betting and provide consumer protections, promote confidence and ensure fair and honest gaming. We are willing to help the U.S. Department of Justice in any way we can as it pursues enforcement of U.S. laws against offshore illegal gaming enterprises that take advantage of our citizens,” Williams said.
In the letter, the seven states’ gaming regulators note the dangers posed by illegal offshore wagering sites, including:
- Lack of investment in responsible gaming programs
- No age verification requirements to protect minors
- No controls to prevent money laundering
- No guarantees of fair payouts for customers
- Loss of state tax revenue that funds important initiatives like education
“State regulators like the MGCB ensure operators offer products that pass technical standards and testing, and we also require operators to comply with reporting requirements,” Williams said. “Offshore operators flaunt state regulations and offer products that do not protect the public, which greatly concerns me and my fellow state regulators.”
House-Passed Bill Would Create Broad Study Of Gambling In Ohio
Ohio’s omnibus two-year budget bill sponsored by House Finance Committee Chairman Jay Edwards passed by the House on April 26, 2023. It was approved with a 78-19 vote and has been introduced in the Senate. The bill includes a provision creating a broad study commission that would cover all aspects of the state’s gambling industry, stating on HB 33’s page 5,534 that the “Study commission on the Future of Gaming in Ohio is established.”
The bill would establish an 11-member panel consisting of four House members, four Senate members, and designees representing the Ohio Casino Control, the Ohio Lottery, and the Ohio State Racing Commissions. They would be reporting recommendations to the General Assembly by June 30, 2024 on all of Ohio’s aspects of gambling. “After it submits its report, the study commission ceases to exist,” according to page 5,534of the bill.
The House-approved bill would also increase the number of Type B retail sportsbooks that could operate in Franklin, Cuyahoga, and Hamilton Counties from five to seven. The total number in the state would stay below the current legal cap of 40. Presently, there are 14 Type B sportsbooks in operation, not including pending licenses.