HARRISBURG – Attorney General Dave Sunday joined a bipartisan coalition of 50 Attorneys Generals in urging the U.S. Department of Justice to assist in addressing the rampant spread of illegal offshore gaming and gambling across the country.
In a joint letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the coalition asks the federal government to invoke its enforcement powers to shut down illegal gaming outlets and seize related assets, and block unlawful transactions involving financial institutions and global payment networks, such as VISA and MasterCard.
Attorney General Sunday, along with the coalition, emphasized that foreign gaming and gambling outlets expose children to gambling, fail to protect consumers, and evade taxation responsibilities, potentially costing Pennsylvania tens of millions of dollars in tax income every year.
“Illegal offshore gaming and gambling companies circumvent all state and federal laws with one mission — to increase players and maximize profits — exposing children and other vulnerable Pennsylvanians to gambling without protections offered by legitimate outlets,” Attorney General Sunday said. “Gambling and gaming remains legal in Pennsylvania, and online gamblers should look for the official Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board logo on licensed operators’ websites to ensure their gaming and gambling experience is safe and regulated.”
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.
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.
Pennsylvania’s Gaming Control Board reported that legal gaming and gambling brought in nearly $6.4 billion in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Internet casinos or “iGaming” brought in almost $2.5 billion of that revenue. Pennsylvania’s Gaming Control Board maintains a list of online gaming operators who are licensed to operate in Pennsylvania.
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, such as:
- 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 laws
- Coordinating with states, financial institutions, and payment processors to block unlawful transactions and dismantle financial infrastructure related to illegal gaming operations.
The letter, co-led by the Attorneys General of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nebraska, and Utah, may be viewed in its entirety here.
Consumers should use caution when using any online gambling or gaming service. Some gaming websites may use the following tricks to try to keep consumers hooked;
- Quick and friction-free signup process
- False promises of “free” play
- Higher deposit and wager defaults than actually required
- Confusing or hidden rollover requirements
- Maximum payout and withdrawal limits
If you or someone you know has or may have a gambling problem, please call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537), visit ResposiblePlay.pa.gov, or text 800GAM.
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