State attorneys general urge U.S. Department of Justice to crack down on offshore gambling
A coalition of 50 state attorneys general has published a letter addressed to US Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging the Department of Justice to tackle the growing threat of offshore gambling.
In the letter, the bipartisan coalition highlighted the risk these offshore entities pose to US citizens, particularly vulnerable young people. As they operate without a US licence, they often do not comply with online gambling regulations and avoid tax obligations.
The letter also estimates that the offshore gambling market may be worth over US$400 billion, resulting in over US$4 billion in lost tax revenue for states.
To conclude the letter, the coalition also provided a path forward for dealing with this issue. They want the US Department of Justice’s cooperation to “deploy robust legal tools to curb these unlawful enterprises.”
This would involve blocking access to these illegal sites, seizing these illegal operators’ assets, and partnering with major payment processors to cut off access to these platforms.
The rise of offshore, unregulated gambling has been a concern for many US states, with gambling regulators repeatedly implementing fines or restrictions to negate illegal gambling. Most recently, Tennessee’s sports betting regulator imposed a total fine of US$250,000 on five offshore operators in July.
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Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
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