The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) received a petition from 50 attorneys general to crack down on illegal offshore gambling.
The news was part of a release by the National Association of Attorneys General as a coalition, and as a letter addressed to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging that the DOJ take decisive action.
DOJ receives Attorney General pleas
The coalition of attorneys general has asked the DOJ to enhance its punitive and investigative efforts against bodies that operate outside the borders of American soil. These unlicensed operators can masquerade as legitimate enterprises, catching consumers off guard.
The letter and the release focus on these operators who fail to pay state taxes or adhere to the stringent regulations in place for licensed operators. There is also a significant shortfall that states have to shoulder in taxable revenue generated from consumers in their respective jurisdictions who are risking their information and personal data with an illegal betting operator.
According to the release and the letter, this equates to “estimates suggesting that illegal online gaming may exceed $400 billion in annual volume, resulting in more than $4 billion in lost tax revenue for states.”
Readwrite reported earlier this year (July 2025) that the Sports Wagering Council (SWC) of Tennessee has issued $250,000 in fines to five illegal offshore gambling operators.
“Consumers in Tennessee need to be aware that illegal operators will gladly take their money and personal information, and if a consumer does business with an illegal book, they give away their information to criminals,” said SWC Executive Director Mary Beth Thomas.
Coalition lays out its concerns to the DOJ
The coalition laid out its concerns to the DOJ, which include the pursuit of injunctive relief under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act to block access to illegal websites and associated payment systems across America.
In addition to the enforcement of digital actions against illegal operators, the coalition urged the collaboration of state authorities, financial institutions, and payment processing providers to “disrupt the financial infrastructure supporting illegal gambling.”
Their plea also included that the assets of illegal operators be at the mercy of seizure. These include items that could be used in the operation of an illegal gambling outfit, such as servers, domains, and financial proceeds.
As we reported, a recently published gambling study by The Campaign for Fairer Gambling and Yield Sec provided statistics that indicated that 74% of all gross gambling revenue in the US finds its way to offshore gambling platforms.
Featured image: Ideogram.
