The FBI said in a new public service announcement that gamblers in the U.S. must ensure that all of their wagering activity is done on legal, state-regulated sites.
In the notice issued Dec. 17, the bureau’s Internet Crime Complaint Center warned consumers that they must make an effort to stay away from illegal online casino and sports betting platforms.
“While sports betting has become more widespread in the U.S., with 39 states and the District of Columbia legalizing some form of sports betting, illegal sportsbooks and illegal online gaming sites are still prevalent,” wrote the FBI. “These illegal sportsbooks and online gaming sites have significant consequences for the American public, the U.S. economy and the integrity of sports betting in the U.S.
“As a federal law enforcement agency, the FBI enforces criminal statutes, including those involving organized crime and illegal gambling operations. The FBI emphasizes each bettor’s individual responsibility to ensure they wager legally and responsibly.”
FBI highlights consumer risks and big-picture threats
The FBI warned that use of illegal and unregulated sites comes with numerous risks to both the consumer and the wider community, including:
- Loss of money and earnings
- Funding organized crime activity
- Becoming vulnerable to violence, extortion and fraud
- Undermining the integrity of sport
The FBI added that its Crime and Corruption in Sport and Gaming Program is in charge of eliminating threats from organized crime groups and other criminals who seek to run illegal gambling operations. The CCSG works with sports leagues, governing bodies, law enforcement agencies and independent watchdogs to identify and combat illegal activity.
However, it stressed that “it is each bettor’s responsibility to play with a licensed and regulated sportsbook operator.”
To ensure they are doing so, the agency recommended that consumers take certain measures including checking state gaming regulators’ lists of licensed operators or checking a platform’s website for a seal from the local gambling regulator that identifies it as a legal operation. Some state regulators, such as the Michigan Gaming Control Board and the Louisiana Gaming Control Board also keep specific lists of unauthorized platforms to which they have sent cease-and-desist letters.
“While some online gaming websites are legal elsewhere in the world, they are still operating illegally in the United States dependent on state regulations,” added the FBI. “Many offshore gambling websites advertise towards U.S. consumers, obfuscating their overseas presence and providing U.S. consumers with a false sense of comfort. These offshore sportsbooks are not held to the same legal standards as U.S.-licensed sportsbooks and may lack consumer protections, increasing the risks for U.S.-based users.”
Warning comes amid heightened sports concerns
The timing of the FBI’s message comes as public concerns grow over risks to sporting integrity amid several high-profile betting scandals.
Most prominently, the bureau arrested more than 30 people including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat player Terry Rozier earlier this year over their alleged roles in separate but overlapping gambling schemes.
Meanwhile, the FBI also charged Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz for an alleged pitch manipulation scheme for the purposes of gambling. That baseball scandal led to calls for in-game “micro bets” to be banned and to action to limit such markets by the league and its partner sportsbooks.
