Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has appointed Jim Townsend as the new Chairman of the state’s Gaming Control Board (MGCB), where he will serve alongside current members Joni Thrower Davis, Mark Evenson, Deidre Lambert-Bounds and Andrew Palms.
MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams spoke on the new hire, having said, “Jim Townsend is a proven leader whose legal, legislative and economic development experience make him exceptionally well-suited to lead the Board.
“I look forward to working alongside him as the Board carries out its critical mission on behalf of Michigan residents.”
Townsend’s appointment will go into effect on August 1, at which time Chairman Jim Ananich will resign from the position. Whitmer approved Townsend for an initial term running from August 1 through December 31, 2028.
Townsend currently serves as Director of the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy at Wayne State University, while his hiring is still subject to the advice and consent of the Michigan Senate.
Prior to joining the Levin Center, Townsend worked in roles such as Legislative Director for the US House of Representatives, Brand Manager for Ford Motor Company and as a Representative for the 26th District of Michigan.
The new MGCB Chairman will look to assist in matters such as regulating prediction markets across the state, especially after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) “exercised its authority to stay an emergency rule change proposed by Kalshi” on June 29.
The CFTC officially blocked the operator from cancelling trades in Michigan despite being ordered to cease such activity by state courts.
Kalshi moved to cancel trades in Michigan after the Ingham County Circuit Court granted Attorney General Dana Nessel a temporary restraining order against the operator, following her original enforcement action filed on March 4.
The MGCB reported the state’s total online sports betting and iGaming activity for June 2026 on July 21, as revenue from both verticals totaled $309.4m, equating to an increase of 20.6%
