50 Attorneys General Urge DOJ Action on Illegal Gambling Sites

Across the United States, 50 Attorney Generals have sent a letter to the Department of Justice, asking them to assist amid the "rampant speed" of both illegal casino and sports betting sites. 

The letter was sent on Monday. 

“Our States have heard reports concerning growth in the illicit offshore gambling markets that could be harming our citizens,” the letter says. “While we as States do all we can to protect our citizens, such unlawful enterprises undermine the rule of law, threaten consumer protection, and deprive our States of significant tax revenues and economic benefits.

“We seek the USDOJ’s cooperation in ensuring these companies are brought to justice to the fullest extent available under state and federal law, both criminal and civil, for any potential violations.”

The letter mentions that, per an American Gaming Association report from November 2022, the handle is about $400 billion at illegal gambling platforms, which is about a $5 billion loss in tax revenue. 

AGs Provide Three Ways to End It

The letter goes on to say that the federal government's actions against illegal gambling platforms have been "extremely limited" since 2013. 

It did highlight two positives: Black Friday in 2011 and another incident in April 2024, in which it seized domains connected to a Russian network of cyber criminals. 

So, how can it be stopped? The AGs provided three routes: 

• Go for injunctive relief and website seizures using federal law.
• Seize assets and domains of illegal offshore gaming operators, many of which have been reached with cease-and-desist letters from some of the undersigned AGs or state regulatory agencies.
• Work with financial institutions to block illegal gambling transactions.

“We stand ready to collaborate with the USDOJ to protect our residents and uphold the laws of our country and of our States,” the end of the letter reads.

The AGs That Didn't Sign

While there are 50 signatures, not every state or United States territory was represented. 

The territories that did sign were Washington, D.C., American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands.

The states that didn't sign include Kentucky, Montana, Texas, and Wisconsin. 

The territories that didn't sign were Guam and Puerto Rico. 

Co-sponsoring the letter were four AGs: William Tong (Connecticut), Derek Brown (Utah), Andrea Joy Campbell (Massachusetts), and Mike Hilgers (Nebraska).