A bipartisan group of senators led by Republican Alabama Sen. Katie Britt is calling for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to crack down on illegal offshore gaming.
Twelve members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent Attorney General Pam Bondi a letter on Monday to urge the department to restrict access to illegal offshore gaming operations in the United States. The senators argue that illegal offshore gaming poses a unique threat to America’s youth, who have highly-addictive sports betting platforms at their fingertips with little oversight, according to a copy of the letter obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation. (RELATED: Multiple NBA Figures, Including Blazers’ Head Coach Chauncey Billups, Arrested In Gambling Probe Connected To Mafia)
A spokesperson for the DOJ confirmed receipt of the letter, but declined to comment further.
“These illegal offshore gaming operations expose young people to numerous harms, including by permitting them to gamble without age verification, on credit, and offering no resources for gambling addictions,” the senators wrote. “Young people, including minors, are increasingly gambling, and illegal offshore gaming operations prey on them for profit.”
Britt and the 11 senators requested that the DOJ provide an analysis of previous and current enforcement actions they have taken against illegal offshore gaming operators. They also asked Bondi to share whether there are any legislative solutions that Congress should pursue to assist the DOJ’s crack down efforts.
LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 23: The betting line for Game One of the Stanley Cup Final shows the Vegas Golden Knights favored over the Washington Capitals at the Race & Sports SuperBook at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on May 23, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The letter comes after 50 state and territory attorneys general directed Bondi to increase enforcement efforts against illegal offshore gaming and sports betting in August.
The attorneys general called on the DOJ to work with payment processors to block illegal transactions made on gambling platforms. The cohort also urged the Justice Department to use its authority under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act to seize the assets and domain names of illegal offshore gaming operators.
Americans gambled more than $60 billion with illegal operators and offshore sites, creating a $700 million tax revenue loss for states, according to a 2022 American Gaming Association report.
Britt voiced her concern about illegal offshore gaming targeting young men during an Judiciary Committee hearing in early October when Bondi testified before the panel. Bondi committed to look into the issue further.
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