Florida AG urges lawmakers to make illegal gambling a felony

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier called on state lawmakers to elevate penalties for illegal gambling operations from a misdemeanor to a felony, arguing that current punishments fail to deter lucrative criminal enterprises.

“Right now, people can stand to make millions off of unlawful gambling operations and just end up with a slap on the wrist, a misdemeanor,” Uthmeier said. “This is not sending the right message, and it is not enough of a deterrent to stop this illegal behavior.”

This year, we have taken down several illegal gambling operations totaling millions of dollars.

I’ve encouraged the Legislature to raise the penalty for such dangerous operations, often combined with trafficking and laundering, from a misdemeanor to felony. Let’s hold criminals… pic.twitter.com/SpqzmDjfM5

— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) November 24, 2025

Uthmeier said illegal gambling often intersects with more serious crimes, including money laundering and racketeering. He pointed to a recent case in which more than 30 people were indicted in a high-profile gambling ring that allegedly involved Portland Trail Blazers head coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Damon Jones. Prosecutors say the operation was run by Mafia groups, including the Lucchese, Bonanno, Genovese, and Gambino families.

The attorney general said Florida has dismantled numerous large-scale gambling networks over the past year, but added that stronger penalties are needed to keep pace with sophisticated operations.

“Over the last year, we've taken down numerous large-scale gambling operations that have spanned in the 10s of millions of dollars,” he said. “A heightened penalty will give us in law enforcement the tools to hold these wrongdoers accountable.”

State lawmakers are considering two bills that would tighten gambling enforcement. Sen. Jennifer Bradley, a Republican from Fleming Island, introduced a Senate measure in October, while Rep. Dana Trabulsy, a Republican from Fort Pierce, filed a similar House bill, HB 198, last month. If approved, the changes would take effect on July 1.

“I want to thank Representative Dana Trabulsy and Senator Bradley for championing this much-needed public safety bill and empowering law enforcement with the tools they need to keep Floridians safe,” Uthmeier said.