Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier hosted a news conference in Naples to announce the results of “Operation Sunset Stakes”, an effort aiming to crack down on illegal gambling in Florida.The attorney general said 479 illegal slot machines were seized by the Florida Gaming Control Commission over the course of a week in Lee and Collier counties. According to officials, authorities also arrested 11 people and seized over $294K from the slot machines on Florida’s Gulf Coast.Uthmeier was joined by Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, and Florida Gaming Control Commission Chair Julie Brown in Wednesday’s conference.“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,” Uthmeier said.Since the beginning of 2026, the statewide crackdown on illegal gambling operations has seized 3,114 illegal machines and $1.7 million, and yielded 81 arrests, according to the attorney general’s office news release.The Florida Gaming Control Commission announced it’s forming a new division on the Gulf Coast to target illegal operations. Uthmeier also said that he will be pushing the legislature to pass harsher punishments for these types of crimes.WATCH THE CONFERENCE IN THE PLAYER BELOW.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier hosted a news conference in Naples to announce the results of “Operation Sunset Stakes”, an effort aiming to crack down on illegal gambling in Florida.
The attorney general said 479 illegal slot machines were seized by the Florida Gaming Control Commission over the course of a week in Lee and Collier counties. According to officials, authorities also arrested 11 people and seized over $294K from the slot machines on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Uthmeier was joined by Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, and Florida Gaming Control Commission Chair Julie Brown in Wednesday’s conference.
“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,” Uthmeier said.
Since the beginning of 2026, the statewide crackdown on illegal gambling operations has seized 3,114 illegal machines and $1.7 million, and yielded 81 arrests, according to the attorney general’s office news release.
The Florida Gaming Control Commission announced it’s forming a new division on the Gulf Coast to target illegal operations. Uthmeier also said that he will be pushing the legislature to pass harsher punishments for these types of crimes.
WATCH THE CONFERENCE IN THE PLAYER BELOW.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.
