Florida Attorney General Steps Up Enforcement, Backs New Gambling Laws
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is stepping up efforts to combat illegal and gray-market gambling in the state, pairing increased enforcement and legal scrutiny with active support for new legislation aimed at tightening Florida’s gambling laws.
Uthmeier told Florida Politics that the success of legal betting under Florida’s compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida has been accompanied by a rise in illegal and gray-market gambling activity. That includes unlicensed storefront casinos, offshore online platforms, and sweepstakes casinos.
He argues that these unregulated operations undermine consumer protections. They also threaten Florida’s regulated gaming framework — including online sports betting, which is projected to generate $4.4 billion for the state through 2030.
Florida Steps Up Enforcement Against Illegal Gambling
The attorney general’s comments come amid a year of intensified enforcement across Florida.
In December, the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) announced that in 2025, it had seized a total of $14,474,336 and 6,725 illegal slot machines during enforcement actions targeting illegal gambling. That’s more than double the $7 million the agency seized in 2024.
FGCC and local law enforcement agencies conducted coordinated raids on bars, convenience stores, and storefront “arcades” operating illegally.
Despite those efforts, officials have acknowledged that illegal operators frequently reopen under new names or relocate. That creates what regulators have described as a persistent “whack-a-mole” problem.
Uthmeier has cited those dynamics as justification for pairing enforcement with legislative and legal action.
Subpoenas Sent to Sweepstakes Casinos, but Dialogue Still on the Table
As part of that broader strategy, Uthmeier told Florida Politics that his office has issued subpoenas to sweepstakes casino operators active in Florida. He hasn’t specified how many or which operators his office has targeted. Gambling Insider’s review suggests that only a handful of sweepstakes platforms currently restrict access in Florida.
Despite the subpoenas, Uthmeier said his office wants to meet with operators. He wants to discuss how their platforms function, how money flows through their systems, and whether those operations comply with Florida law.
The approach reflects a distinction Uthmeier has drawn between offshore illegal gambling operations and sweepstakes casinos. Still, he made clear that gray-area status does not shield operators from oversight.
Standing Firm on the Seminole Compact
Uthmeier has consistently framed Florida’s gaming compact as the legal cornerstone of the state’s gambling ecosystem, stating:
“We stand by the Compact with the Seminole Tribe. It’s been a huge success, and it’s a great way to ensure that Florida taxpayers are getting the benefit of a significant revenue share to the state, moving through an application and gaming apparatus that is highly regulated, safe, and free from illicit activities.”
According to Uthmeier, protecting the compact requires not only defending it legally but also preventing parallel gambling markets from emerging alongside it.
Lawmakers Move to Reinforce Florida’s Gambling Laws
Alongside enforcement and subpoenas, Uthmeier has voiced support for new anti-gambling legislation. Lawmakers have already pre-filed two bills for the 2026 legislative session.
- HB 189, which would strengthen penalties for illegal online gambling, unlicensed sports betting, and illegal gambling promotion. At the same time, it explicitly preserves gambling conducted under the Seminole compact. The bill also seeks to clarify Florida’s stance on daily fantasy sports.
- HB 591 is a broader bill that proposes expanding enforcement authority and tightening penalties for illegal gambling operations. That includes a new first-degree felony for trafficking 15 or more illegal slot machines. Additionally, harsher penalties for repeat and organized offenders.
Supporters of the bills argue they are necessary to modernize Florida’s gambling laws and address business models that did not exist when many statutes were written. Uthmeier has publicly endorsed that position.
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