Washington, DC – On the heels of a report showing strong ties between illegal gambling and organized crime, three diverse groups today stepped up efforts to call attention to the underground and corrupt illegal gambling market in the United States through a new public service announcement. The American Gaming Association (AGA), The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) released the “Fight Illegal Gambling” PSA to bring awareness to illegal gambling.

Watch the “Fight Illegal Gambling” PSA

“Our partnership to combat illegal gambling illustrates the various ways in which these shady operations harm communities across the country,” said Geoff Freeman, AGA president and CEO. “Illegal gambling threaten consumers, rips off taxpayers and funds criminal activity, which is why the Humane Society and the National Sheriffs’ Association have joined our ‘Stop Illegal Gambling – Play it Safe’ initiative.’ We encourage the public to report such activities in their community to the FBI, local law enforcement or on social media using #StopIllegalGambling.”

“Animal fighting is a scourge on society, not only because of the extreme cruelty to the animals involved, but also because it often goes hand in hand with drugs and other violence,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. “We are proud to work with the American Gaming Association and National Sheriffs’ Association on this important initiative. It’s critical that people report illegal animal fighting to protect animals and our communities.”

“The National Sheriffs’ Association is pleased to support the American Gaming Association’s ‘Stop Illegal Gambling’ Initiative to help protect our communities from the dangers of underground and unregulated gambling activities,” said NSA Executive Director Jonathan Thompson. “Not only is illegal gambling bad for those involved, it often funds other more serious crimes and it should be stopped in its tracks. We hope this PSA will encourage people to report illegal gambling to law enforcement so we can help put an end to this pervasive crime.”

Through the “Stop Illegal Gambling – Play it Safe” initiative, AGA is working with law enforcement and the private sector to distinguish the highly regulated, $240 billion legal gaming industry from illegal gambling and criminal enterprises that fund horrific crimes. Earlier this month, AGA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that they are cooperating in an initiative to combat illegal gambling through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), an online tool that serves as a vehicle for the public to report tips and complaints pertaining to online crimes.

For more information, visit the HSUS’ Take Action page.

About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $240 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.7 million jobs in 40 states. AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, suppliers and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry. It is the mission of the AGA to be the single most effective champion of the industry, relentlessly protecting against harmful and often misinformed public policies, and paving a path for growth, innovation and reinvestment.

                                                           ###