Digital technology has catapulted illegal gambling activities from the dark recesses of underground pokers rooms and bookies fronting as legitimate businesspersons into the mainstream. Illegal online gambling within America is now commonplace, so much so that about 89% of those who bet on the Super Bowl do so (knowingly or unknowingly) with unregulated offshore operators.
While regulators, legitimate operators, and stakeholders from within the regulated gaming space have been frustrated by this trend, the industry is reaching an inflection point. Unregulated offshore betting sites are feeling the squeeze (more on this below), but in order for them to be wiped from the literal and virtual landscape, the America gambling public must also get involved in the fight. Why should they (you) care? And can the average citizen even put the smallest dent into the offshore exploitation of the American gambling population? Read ahead to find out.
Why American Gamblers Should Join the Fight Against Illegal Online Gambling Operators and How to Help Stop Them from Harming Vulnerable Citizens
Why American Online Gamblers Should Care
Before we get to how the American gambling public can get involved in the fight against illegal online gambling operators, it’s important to explain why everyone should actually care. Below is a summary of why it’s important to take a stance.
i) Crackdown is Already Happening
“The state of Michigan is cracking down on unauthorized internet gaming, ordering nearly two-dozen websites to immediately halt operations for violating state laws.” (Michigan Gaming Control Board, July 7, 2025)
“The Arizona Department of Gaming has ordered several unlicensed gambling operators to stop offering illegal services to residents.” (Arizona Department of Gaming, July 4, 2025)
“Massachusetts is intensifying efforts to protect its regulated gaming market, issuing cease-and-desist letters to two offshore sportsbooks accused of offering unlicensed gambling services within the state.” (Massachusetts Gaming Commission, June 30, 2025)
In the past two weeks, a number of U.S. states have ramped up efforts to target unregulated offshore operators, and more are expected to follow through the remainder of 2025 and into 2026 until such operators abandon hopes of exploiting U.S. residents. While the crackdown is focused on the owners of illegal gambling sites, those using these platforms (U.S. gamblers) could be next. Punitive measures may not be taken at a criminal level, but the likelihood of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) getting involved with citizen gambling income grows. This is made evident by the new One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) gambling tax law. State governments, the federal government, and the IRS are monitoring the entirety of unregulated offshore gambling activity very closely, and all involved should remove themselves accordingly.
ii) Made in America
Sentiment about supporting local “Made in America” products and services is growing from both sides of the sociopolitical spectrum. By spending with unregulated offshore operators, exploited U.S. gamblers are putting money into the pockets of those who set up shop (and employ staff within) destinations such as Antigua, Costa Rica, Curacao, Malta, Panama, and beyond.
iii) Guardrails Are There for Consumer Safety
Offshore operators are not beholden to follow standard consumer protections set forth at state and federal levels. Their ubiquitous use of cryptocurrency is a testament to this. Consequently, anyone who gambles with an illegal online gambling site has no legal recourse regarding cybersecurity breaches and disputes regarding account balance/winning payouts and withdrawals, or any other consumer abuses.
iv) Guardrails Are There for Your Mental Health
This is the most important consideration for why any American should avoid illegal online gambling. Offshore operators are not beholden to Responsible Gambling (RG) mandates set forth at state and federal levels. Offshore operators to not invest in artificial intelligence systems to detect markers of gambling harm, nor to monitor for problematic gambling behavior by players on their respective platforms. Offshore operators do not invest in relationships with mental health support providers who specialize in assessing and providing treatment for problem gambling among their respective player bases. Simply stated, there are zero guardrails in place for anyone using illegal online gambling sites, which is a major issue for anyone who may be vulnerable (by age, gender, vocation or cooccuring mental health issues) to developing problematic gambling behavior.
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With a clear understanding of why American gamblers should join the fight against illegal online gambling, we can now get to how everyone can get involved in taking action.
I. Know Online Gambling Laws for Your State
Many U.S. based gamblers unknowingly use unregulated offshore casino gaming and sports betting platforms. This is because there is a lot of grey area between legalities of state-run and tribal land-based casinos, in-state online casinos, in-state retail sports betting kiosks, and online sports betting / DFS. It’s all very confusing for someone who just wants to place a wager on a virtual game or sporting event. By gaining knowledge about which U.S. states have legal / regulated online sports betting and casino gaming, one can instantly identify whether or not they (you) are technically permitted to use an online gambling site within state limits. Armed with this knowledge, you will know if you are using an unregulated offshore operator. Click or tap below to view the maps for legal online sports betting and legal online casino gaming in the USA:
U.S. STATES WITH LEGAL SPORTS BETTING MAP
U.S. STATES WITH LEGAL ONLINE CASINOS MAP
II. Report Violators to State and Federal Law Enforcement
Unregulated offshore operators are in violation of state and federal law. If you or someone you are concerned about has been able to register, deposit funds, and wager with an unregulated offshore operator from within the United States, the operator can be confidentially reported directly to the gaming commission of your state. For instance, a Florida resident who has had an experience with an illegal online casino can report the operator to the Florida Gaming Control Commission, while a California resident who has had an experience with an illegal online sportsbook can file their confidential report to the California Gambling Control Commission, et cetera. What about at a national level? The FBI encourages anyone with information about illegal gambling operations to submit a tip to the FBI online or report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
III. Report Violators on Social Networks
“As Meta continues to work towards reducing the rise of ads from unlicensed and illegal gambling operators, the company has implemented new advertising regulations for its platforms, Facebook and Instagram. Announced on July 9, 2025, these updated policies aim to reinforce licensing requirements and ensure that advertisers take greater responsibility for compliance with local laws.” (iGamingToday)
As of July, 2025, META updated their policies regarding the marketing of online gambling on Facebook and Instagram, indicating that they are prepared to be more diligent in supporting Responsible Gambling initiatives. This may be in response to criticism of their relatively lax stance on the matter that has persisted for quite some time (view more). It is now fully forbidden for unregulated operators and influencers (including the likes of these celebrities) to promote their offshore gambling products/services to U.S. citizens. Regulators, Responsible Gaming stakeholders, and concerned citizens can report violations using META’s provided resource for reporting operators who solicit illegal content and services:
REPORT ILLEGAL GAMBLING ADS TO META
IV. Report Violators to Google
“When a reporter in North Carolina, which legalized sports betting in March, recently searched Google for “where to bet on sports online,” the first page of results showed two other illegal sportsbooks, including BetUS, a Costa Rica-based operation that features former NFL quarterback Michael Vick in its ads. Gilman said search engines shouldn’t be directing Americans to criminal enterprises. A Google spokesperson said: ‘We are guided by local law in removing pages from Google Search. When authorities alert us to search results that violate the law, we review those requests quickly and take appropriate action.’” (Washington Post)
The illegal online gambling industry invests millions of dollars per annum into search engine optimization (SEO) and black-hat pay-per-click (PPC) tactics to get themselves on the promised land of Google Page 1 search results. Those who work within the regulated industry at a state level can absolutely report not just illegal offshore operators, but gambling affiliate websites that promote these unregulated operators, to Google. The average citizen can also do the same when they uncover an illegal offshore operator or affiliate promoting them, using Google’s provided resource for reporting websites that solicit illegal content and services.
REPORT ILLEGAL GAMBLING SITES TO GOOGLE
Some unregulated online gambling platforms are getting bold and creative in their strategies to infiltrate local populations. At press, a Google search for local casinos in St Petersburg, Florida, delivers the world’s most infamous unregulated online operator (click here to learn more) as if it was a land-based casino, which essentially tricks residents into thinking that it’s perfectly legal to use, even though online casinos are illegal in the county and state. The address this operator is using, is a for a hapless local business that may or may not be aware of what’s happening:
Doesn’t look like a 5-star casino facility, does it?
Regulators, Responsible Gaming stakeholders, and concerned citizens alike are encouraged to watch out for tactics of this nature, and use Google’s reporting tools to help end violations. All that one needs to do is select “Suggest an edit” on the Google map result and follow the short trail towards their reporting tool:
Step 1: Click or tap “Suggest an edit”
Step 2: Click or tap “Report a legal issue”
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