The geolocation company GeoComply released a five-minute video Thursday titled “Become An Ally, Stop Illegal Gambling,” which calls for lawmakers to do more to help put offshore sportsbooks out of business.
The video kicks off with a number not credited to any source, and it's a big one: Americans wager $400 billion a year on illegal online gaming sites. (For comparison's sake, a little more than $117 billion was wagered legally on sports betting in 2023.) The $400 billion number is not broken down by sports betting or online casino, but the eye-catching figure is followed by a second, somewhat less eye-catching stat: It's costing states $5 billion in tax revenue.
From there, dark and ominous music plays in the background as a question is posed: “These are big numbers, but what do they mean for Americans?”
“When an American bets with an illegal offshore operator, it hurts that consumer, but it also hurts our ability to fund problem gambling resources by siphoning tax dollars to these offshore marketplaces,” Cait DeBaun, the vice president for strategic communications and responsibility for the American Gaming Association, says in the clip. “The more we can invest in stopping illegal gambling, the more we’re able to provide resources and treatment to those who need the help and we can better understand how they need that help.”