(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – In this Dec. 13, 2018, file photo, gamblers place bets in the temporary sports betting area at the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia. State regulators said Monday, July 19, 2021, that Pennsylvania smashed its record for gambling revenue, reporting nearly $3.9 billion in the last fiscal year as every category of wagering showed growth in one of the nation’s largest casino and gambling states. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday is currently making a push for a federal crackdown on offshore gambling. According to Sunday and other law enforcement officials, offshore gambling puts youth and consumers at risk and deprives states of billions in tax revenue. A letter was also recently sent by prosecutors from around the country which included Sunday in Pennsylvania to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to make sure justice is given to operators of sites for offshore gambling. According to the letter, these sites, based outside the United States, often fail to verify the age of users and also offer scant consumer protections or none at all and do not pay taxes and because of these platforms, states that are estimated are not getting over $4 billion in yearly revenue. Sites that are legal for gambling in Pennsylvania must have a license secured, must exclude access to those younger than twenty-one-years-old from gambling and must follow regulations of consumer regulation. According to a statement from Sunday, attorneys general in Nebraska, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Utah are leading the push for federal action.