West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey
CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey has joined a bipartisan coalition of 50 attorneys general in asking the U.S. Department of Justice to assist in addressing the rampant spread of illegal offshore gaming.
In an August 5 letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi from the National Association of Attorneys General, the coalition stressed the need for action to combat harm to consumers, the rule of law and the economy from an unprecedented growth in illicit online gambling.
Bondi
“I am especially concerned that children are typically targeted by illegal online gambling enterprises,” McCuskey said. “This has been a priority since the beginning of my tenure as attorney general, and I’m proud that attorneys general from across the political spectrum have come together to fight back against this dangerous and growing issue.”
According to the coalition, illegal online sports betting and gaming operations largely are 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, the coalition also highlights the harm caused to states and residents by such unlawful platforms, particularly to young people, vulnerable adults and state economies. Specifically, the coalition says 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.
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.
In the letter, the coalition of AGs “strongly encourage USDOJ to prioritize enforcement against illegal offshore gaming operations.”
They urge Bondi and the DOJ to work with state AGs to pursue injunctive relief and website seizures, seize assets and domain names of illegal offshore gaming operators as well as coordinate with financial institutions to block unlawful transactions and dismantle the financial infrastructure supporting these enterprises. “We stand ready to collaborate with the USDOJ to protect our residents and uphold the laws of our country and of our states,” the letter concludes.
McCuskey joined the letter co-led by the attorneys general of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nebraska, and Utah. The coalition also included 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 and Wyoming.
