Drummond asks U.S. Justice Department to assist fight unlawful offshore gaming

OKLAHOMA CITY (Aug. 6, 2025) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond is urging the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist handle the rampant unfold of unlawful offshore gaming that’s threatening the nation from coast to coast.

Drummond and a coalition of fifty attorneys normal despatched a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi yesterday, underscoring the necessity for motion to fight hurt to the rule of legislation, shoppers and the economic system from an unprecedented spike in illicit on-line playing.

“The growth of illegal offshore gambling markets poses a threat to Oklahomans and to hardworking people across the country,” Drummond stated. “These companies deserve to be brought to justice under the fullest extent of the law.”

Illegal on-line sports activities betting and gaming operations are largely operated by foreign-based firms that routinely function with out correct licensure, supply restricted or non-existent shopper protections, fail to successfully confirm the age of customers, ignore state boundaries and evade tax obligations. 

In the letter, Drummond and the coalition spotlight the numerous hurt induced to states and residents by such illegal platforms, significantly to younger individuals, weak adults and state economies. Specifically, the coalition asserts that unlawful gaming operations expose customers to fraudulent schemes and encourage drawback playing with none oversight or accountability; undercut state-regulated markets; and have been linked to cash laundering, human trafficking and different unlawful conduct. 

The coalition famous that unlawful on-line gaming is estimated to exceed greater than $400 billion in quantity yearly, resulting in greater than $4 billion in misplaced tax income for states. The coalition urges the DOJ to help and coordinate with states in deploying strong authorized instruments and enforcement actions in opposition to unlawful offshore gaming operations, particularly as such actions by the DOJ have been extraordinarily restricted since 2013.  

Particularly, the coalition urges the DOJ to assist curb unlawful offshore gaming operations by:  

• Pursuing injunctive aid underneath the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act to dam entry to unlawful web sites and cost processing mechanisms associated to illicit gaming operations;

• Seizing property – together with servers, web sites, domains, and proceeds – utilized by gaming operators that violate state and federal legislation; and

• Coordinating with states, monetary establishments and cost processors to dam illegal transactions and dismantle monetary infrastructure associated to unlawful gaming operations.

In addition to Oklahoma, states and territories becoming a member of the letter embody Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Utah, Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, West Virginia. and Wyoming.