U.S. Senator Katie Britt has led a bipartisan effort urging the Department of Justice to take immediate action against illegal offshore gaming operations, amid serious concerns about the extent to which the youth are using these gambling platforms and the lack of protections for players.
Alabama Senator Katie Britt penned the letter, alongside 11 bipartisan colleagues, to Attorney General Pam Bondi, “regarding the concerning use of illegal offshore gaming operations by America’s youth, and to ask the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to take action to protect young people from these illegal gaming operations.”
Proud to lead a bipartisan group of Senators and encourage the DOJ to combat illegal offshore gaming operations, which are the main culprit behind the alarming rise of illegal sports betting among our youth. We have the tools to stop it and we must use them.…
— Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) October 27, 2025
The official letter from the Senate went on to detail how the illicit offshore operations “allow minors to engage in unregulated sports betting and gaming with no oversight, unlike legal domestic gaming operations.
It was further stated that “these illegal offshore gaming operations expose young people to numerous harms, including by permitting them to gamble without age verification, on credit, and offering no resources for gambling addictions.”
Previous attempt to encourage shutdown of illegal offshore gaming operations
Beyond conveying their concerns about the increasing use of these illicit gambling services by young people, the Senators requested specific feedback on four issues, including a report on how many illegal offshore gaming operations have been successfully targeted by the DOJ.
The letter also requested more information, a “comprehensive assessment” on what resources or legal tools the DOJ may lack in taking effective enforcement against the illegal operators.
Attorney Bondi was also reminded of the communication from 50 state attorneys general earlier this year, urging full use of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act to shut down access to illicit offshore gaming operations.
Meanwhile, in Missouri, a newly proposed class action lawsuit has been filed, which claims that the online gambling site Stake.us, influencer Adin Ross, and Canadian rapper Aubrey “Drake” Graham were running an illegal online casino.
The class action case aims to hold Ross and Drake liable for members’ gambling losses.
Image credit: SenKatieBritt/X
