Attorney General James Uthmeier Announces Illegal Gaming Enforcement Operation Results; Setting Pace for Record Year
Courtesy of the Office of the Attorney General
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the results of a multi-day operation targeting illegal gaming operations. The operation spanned Lee and Collier counties and resulted in the seizure of 479 illegal machines and $294,150 in illicit proceeds, along with 11 arrests.
“Illegal gambling operations pose a threat to public safety and undermine our compact with the Seminole Tribe, which provides billions of dollars to the state to protect our environmental resources,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “These illegal casinos fuel larger criminal enterprises that contribute to drug and human trafficking. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to shut down all illegal gaming operations across the state.”
“I want to thank Attorney General James Uthmeier, Gaming Control Commission Chair Julie Brown, and their respective offices for their partnership in keeping our community safe,” said Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk. “These illegal and unregulated gambling businesses and machines provide zero consumer protections, no guarantee of fair play, and no recourse if an operator simply disappears with their money. Unregulated machines take advantage of customers. Make no mistake–these are not harmless establishments.”
“This coordinated, multi-agency effort led by the Florida Gaming Control Commission, working alongside the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Attorney General’s Office shows the residents of Southwest Florida that we are a law-and-order state,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno. “I couldn’t be more proud of the agents, detectives, and prosecutors that worked on this operation.”
“The Florida Gaming Control Commission is grateful for the continued support of Governor Ron DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, the Florida Legislature, and our law enforcement partners as we carry out this important public safety mission,” said Florida Gaming Control Commission Chair Julie Brown. “Because of that support, the FGCC will establish a new law enforcement squad in Southwest Florida in the coming year, expanding our ability to confront illegal gambling and protect Floridians from those who would exploit our communities for profit.”
This was a joint operation led by the Gaming Control Commission, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, Collier County Sheriff’s Office, and Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Since the beginning of 2026, Attorney General Uthmeier and the Florida Gaming Control Commission have led a statewide crackdown on illegal gaming operations, seizing 3,114 illegal machines and $1.7 million, and arresting 81 individuals involved in unlawful gambling.
The Attorney General also notified payment processors that their facilitation of illegal online gaming may implicate Florida’s RICO act. To view a copy of the letter sent to Visa, click here.
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