TALLAHASSEE — A multi-day enforcement operation targeting illegal gambling in Lee and Collier counties netted 479 machines, $294,150 in illicit proceeds and 11 arrests, Attorney General James Uthmeier announced, as the state sets a pace for a record year of illegal gaming crackdowns.
“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 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.”
Since the beginning of 2026, Uthmeier and the Florida Gaming Control Commission have seized 3,114 illegal machines and $1.7 million statewide, arresting 81 individuals involved in unlawful gambling. The Southwest Florida operation was a joint effort led by the Gaming Control Commission, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said the unregulated operations prey on consumers with no safeguards. “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,” Rambosk said. “Unregulated machines take advantage of customers. Make no mistake — these are not harmless establishments.”
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno called the sweep a demonstration of the state’s law enforcement commitment. “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,” Marceno said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the agents, detectives, and prosecutors that worked on this operation.”
Florida Gaming Control Commission Chair Julie Brown said the agency plans to expand its footprint in the region. “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,” Brown said. “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.”
Uthmeier also notified payment processors, including Visa, that their facilitation of illegal online gaming may implicate Florida’s RICO act. The new Southwest Florida enforcement squad is expected to be operational within the coming year.