Press Release  AG Campbell Leads Bipartisan Effort Urging U.S. Department Of Justice To Help Address Illegal Offshore Gaming

BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has co-led a bipartisan multistate coalition of 50 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist in addressing the rampant spread of illegal offshore gaming across the country. The coalition stressed the need for action to combat harm to the rule of law, consumers, and the economy from an unprecedented growth in illicit online gambling.

The request to the DOJ was made in a letter sent by AG Campbell and the coalition to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Illegal online sports betting and gaming operations are largely operated by foreign-based companies that routinely operate without proper licensure, offer limited or non-existent consumer protections, fail to effectively verify the age of users, ignore state boundaries, and evade tax obligations.

In the letter, AG Campbell and the coalition highlight the significant harm caused to states and residents by such unlawful platforms, particularly to young people, vulnerable adults, and state economies. Specifically, the coalition asserts that illegal gaming operations expose users to fraudulent schemes and encourage problem gambling without any oversight or accountability; undercut state-regulated markets; and have been linked to money laundering, human trafficking, and other illegal conduct.

In fact, the coalition contends that illegal online gaming is estimated to exceed more than $400 billion in volume annually, leading to more than $4 billion in lost tax revenue for states.

As such, the coalition urges the DOJ to assist and coordinate with states in deploying robust legal tools and enforcement actions against illegal offshore gaming operations, especially as such actions by the DOJ have been extremely limited since 2013.

Particularly, the coalition urges the DOJ to help curb illegal offshore gaming operations by:

• Pursuing injunctive relief under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act to block access to illegal websites and payment processing mechanisms related to illicit gaming operations
• Seizing assets – including servers, websites, domains, and proceeds – used by gaming operators that violate state and federal law
• Coordinating with states, financial institutions, and payment processors to block unlawful transactions and dismantle financial infrastructure related to illegal gaming operations

The letter may be viewed in its entirety here.

Joining AG Campbell in co-leading the letter are the attorneys general of Connecticut, Nebraska, and Utah. The letter was also joined by the attorneys general of 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, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

AG Campbell’s Privacy and Responsible Technology and Gaming Enforcement Divisions routinely work to combat illegal offshore gaming operations. In June 2025, AG Campbell issued cease-and-desist letters to two online gambling operators, for offering online gambling and betting products in Massachusetts without obtaining the required licensure from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Similarly, in October 2024, AG Campbell issued a cease-and-desist letter to gaming operator Bovada for operating a sports betting and gambling website without a Massachusetts license. 

In March of 2024, AG Campbell announced the formation of the Youth Sports Betting Safety Coalition, a new private-public partnership to raise awareness about the laws and risks surrounding youth online sports gambling.

Resources are available for individuals who are experiencing problems with gambling or online gaming. Individuals may call 1-800-327-5050, text “GAMB” to 800327, or visit gamblinghelplinema.org to speak with a trained specialist. The helpline is free, confidential and available in multiple languages. Additional resources to prevent problem gambling are available at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s website here.

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