Show-Me State Times

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has joined 49 other state and territorial attorneys general in urging the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to take action against illegal offshore online gambling operations. In a letter addressed to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the coalition called for immediate measures to address what they describe as a growing threat posed by foreign-based gambling platforms.

“Illegal offshore gambling platforms are siphoning billions of dollars away from American communities, exploiting vulnerable consumers, and fueling transnational crime,” said Attorney General Bailey. “These foreign-based operations function entirely outside the bounds of the law, no licensing, no consumer protections, no age verification, and no tax compliance. That ends now. I’m calling on the DOJ to use every tool at its disposal to shut them down.”

The attorneys general argue that these unregulated sites operate beyond U.S. jurisdiction and do not comply with state licensing requirements or consumer protection standards. They note that these companies fail to verify users’ ages, potentially exposing minors to harmful gambling practices. The letter also states that such operations avoid paying state and federal taxes, resulting in significant financial losses for local governments.

Estimates indicate that illegal online gaming exceeds $400 billion annually in volume, leading to more than $4 billion in lost tax revenue for states each year. These activities are said to undermine legitimate state-regulated gaming markets and have been linked with crimes such as money laundering and human trafficking.

The coalition is asking the DOJ to seek injunctive relief and seize domain names under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. They also request asset seizures under 18 U.S.C. § 1955(d), targeting assets, servers, and proceeds connected with illegal gambling sites. Additionally, they want the DOJ to work with financial institutions and payment processors to block transactions supporting these platforms.

The attorneys general point out that similar federal actions have succeeded before, referencing the DOJ’s 2011 crackdown known as “Black Friday” targeting counterfeit websites and a 2024 operation involving domain seizures from a Russian cybercrime ring.

“Missourians deserve better than a system that allows bad actors to profit off of addiction, lawlessness, and fraud,” concluded Attorney General Bailey. “My Office stands ready to partner with federal authorities to shut down these offshore gambling rings, protect consumers, and restore the rule of law.”

The full letter is available online.