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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIllegal 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,\u201d said Attorney General James Uthmeier. \u201cThese 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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,\u201d said Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk. \u201cThese 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis coordinated, multi-agency effort led by the Florida Gaming Control Commission, working alongside the Collier County Sheriff\u2019s Office, and the Florida Attorney General\u2019s Office shows the residents of Southwest Florida that we are a law-and-order state,\u201d said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno. \u201cI couldn\u2019t be more proud of the agents, detectives, and prosecutors that worked on this operation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d said Florida Gaming Control Commission Chair Julie Brown. \u201cBecause 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was a joint operation led by the Gaming Control Commission, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, Collier County Sheriff\u2019s Office, and Lee County Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n