Casino lobby says illegal operators control one-third of U.S. gambling activity

Nearly one-third of all gambling activity in the United States is conducted with an illegal operator or at an unlawful site, according to the industry’s main lobbying group.

A new analysis from the Washington, D.C.-based American Gaming Association claims that 31.9 percent of the total U.S. gambling market is controlled by illegal operators. According to the association, gamblers wager $673.6 billion annually with illegal or unregulated operators.

AGA President Bill Miller said such operators are “draining state coffers and putting people at risk,” and he called for a national crackdown.

“Illegal gambling operators are thriving at the expense of American consumers, siphoning billions in tax revenue from state governments, and undercutting the efforts of the legal market,” Miller said in