The American Gaming Association (AGA) has called on the US Department of Justice to crack down on offshore operators Bovada, MyBookie and BetOnline and the wider unregulated gambling market in a new letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The letter from AGA chief executive Bill Miller outlines the threat that he believes unregulated operators pose to consumers, state economies and the legal gaming industry.
The AGA calls for a crack down on illegal, online sportsbooks and casinos and unregulated “skill game” machines. It urges the DOJ to address illegal gambling by investigating and indicting the largest offshore operations — such as Bovada, MyBookie and BetOnline — that it claims openly violate federal and state laws.
The AGA urges the Department of Justice to address illegal gambling by clarifying that skill-based machine manufacturers must comply with Johnson Act registration requirements and anti-money laundering standards and pursuing aggressive enforcement actions against those entities that do not fully comply.
“While the challenge of illegal gambling is not new, the brazen and coordinated manner in which it occurs — both online and in communities — has elevated this problem to a level that requires significant federal attention,” Miller wrote.
“We urge the Department to make it a priority to act…to protect American consumers, crack down on illegal operators, and enforce federal regulations.
“Illegal operators have been put on notice: their days as a scourge on our nation are numbered.
“These bad actors prey on vulnerable customers, offer no consumer protections, do not ensure integrity or fair play, and generate no economic benefit for states or tribal nations.”
