Florida's illegal gambling empire finally pushed the state's top cop too far.
After watching criminals pocket millions running unlicensed casinos while getting nothing more than a slap on the wrist, Attorney General James Uthmeier isn't holding back anymore.
And Florida’s Attorney General just declared war on illegal gambling rackets making criminals rich.
Uthmeier demands real consequences for criminal enterprise
Attorney General Uthmeier went public this week with a message that should terrify everyone running illegal gambling operations across the Sunshine State.
Current law treats operating an illegal gambling house as a misdemeanor — the same level as shoplifting or getting caught with a small amount of marijuana.
That's insane when you look at the money these operations are raking in.
"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 in a video posted on social media. "This is not sending the right message and it is not enough of a deterrent to stop this illegal behavior."¹
https://twitter.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1993035147466121635?s=20
The numbers back up Uthmeier's outrage.
Over the past year, Florida law enforcement has shut down illegal gambling operations generating tens of millions of dollars.
One massive Central Florida ring alone brought in more than $21.6 million in illicit proceeds.²
Think about that.
These criminals are making more money than most Fortune 500 executives, and when they get caught they face the same penalties as someone who bounced a check.
"Over the last year, we've taken down numerous large-scale gambling operations that have spanned in the tens of millions of dollars," Uthmeier explained. "A heightened penalty will give us in law enforcement the tools to hold these wrongdoers accountable."³
State Senator Jennifer Bradley and Representative Dana Trabulsy have already prefiled legislation that would elevate illegal gambling charges from misdemeanors to felonies.
House Bill 1467 would make a first offense of running an illegal gambling house a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.⁴
Sheriff's arrest exposed how deep corruption runs
The timing of Uthmeier's push couldn't be more perfect.
Back in June, his office arrested Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez on racketeering charges connected to that $21.6 million illegal gambling operation.
Lopez wasn't just looking the other way.
He was actively protecting the criminal enterprise.
Court documents reveal Lopez received between $600,000 and $700,000 from casino operator Krishna Deokaran since 2020 in exchange for keeping his own deputies away from illegal gambling establishments.⁵
The operation ran out of places like the Eclipse Social Club in Kissimmee, where customers could play unlicensed slot machines that weren't monitored for fair play.
https://twitter.com/wwhanlon/status/1993077800111161678?s=20
Legal Florida slot machines must have a minimum payout rate of 85%.
Some of these illegal machines were rigged as low as 18%.⁶
That's not gambling — that's theft dressed up as entertainment.
Lopez got caught because Deokaran tried laundering $2.4 million through an undercover Homeland Security agent.
When agents raided the casinos, they discovered Lopez had used his position as sheriff to shield the entire operation from scrutiny.
"Marcos Lopez initially joined the operation in exchange for political campaign contributions and personal payments," prosecutors said in court documents. "Your Affiant learned that Marcos Lopez pledged to use his anticipated position as the elected Osceola County Sheriff to shield the enterprise from law enforcement scrutiny."⁷
The former sheriff posted $1 million bond and awaits trial.
His wife Robin Lynn Severance Lopez was also arrested and charged on $400,000 bond.⁸
Meanwhile, Deokaran just pleaded guilty to money laundering last week, leaving Lopez as the sole remaining defendant still fighting the charges.⁹
Florida's illegal gambling epidemic exploded during Biden years
The problem Uthmeier is trying to fix didn't happen overnight.
Florida has over 1,000 suspected illegal gambling operations scattered across the state from the Everglades to the Panhandle.¹⁰
These aren't back-alley poker games.
They're sophisticated criminal enterprises running slot machines, conducting illegal lotteries, and laundering money through multiple shell companies.
Law enforcement has conducted dozens of raids across multiple counties.
In Port Orange alone, agents recently seized 22 illegal gambling machines and more than $25,000 in cash from three businesses.¹¹
A massive operation near Orlando netted 125 illegal slot machines and $48,200 in cash.
The "Fish & Chips" investigation in Jacksonville uncovered 263 gambling machines, $2.5 million in cash, luxury vehicles worth $1.7 million, and other assets valued at $1.2 million.¹²
The scale of this criminal activity is staggering.
And under current law, operators face misdemeanor charges that barely register as a speed bump in their business model.
These criminals do the math.
They make millions in profits, face a misdemeanor charge if caught, pay a small fine, and reopen shop somewhere else within weeks.
Many of the illegal arcades that get shut down simply move to a new location and start operating again.
The cycle never ends because the penalties are a joke.
Florida's 21% retirement population creates the perfect target market for these predatory operations.
Older adults enjoy playing slot machines, but with legal Las Vegas-style slots limited to Seminole Tribe casinos and facilities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, illegal arcades have exploded to meet demand.¹³
The criminals running these operations specifically target seniors who might not understand the games are rigged or that the establishment is operating illegally.
It's elder abuse wrapped in bright lights and the sound of fake jackpots.
What felony charges would actually accomplish
Making illegal gambling operations felonies changes everything.
A third-degree felony conviction carries up to five years in prison — not probation, not a fine you can pay with one day's profits, but actual prison time.
Second and subsequent offenses would face even harsher penalties.
Felony charges unlock RICO statutes that let prosecutors go after the entire criminal enterprise.
House Bill 1017 takes it even further by creating a tiered penalty system.
Locations with one to five illegal machines would face second-degree felony charges.
More than five machines bumps it up to a first-degree felony.¹⁴
The legislation also bans advertising illegal gambling operations and sets stricter bail requirements for gambling-related crimes.
Uthmeier made clear these illegal operations aren't just violating gambling laws.
"Not only does it violate our state's rule of law and put our consumers at risk, but it often breeds other illicit acts like human and drug trafficking, money laundering and racketeering," Uthmeier said.¹⁵
That's the real reason misdemeanor charges don't work.
These aren't isolated gambling violations — they're organized crime networks using gambling proceeds to fund other criminal enterprises.
The Florida Legislature will take up the issue when they convene in January 2026.
If the bills pass, the new felony penalties would take effect July 1, 2026.
That gives current operators about seven months to shut down before they face serious prison time instead of pocket change fines.
Attorney General Uthmeier deserves credit for finally calling out this farce.
For years Florida has pretended misdemeanor charges would somehow deter criminals making millions in profits.
The only question now is whether state lawmakers will back him up or keep pretending the current system works.
¹ Anita Padilla, "Attorney General Uthmeier urges felony charges for illegal gambling in Florida," Florida News, November 25, 2025.
² Devin O'Connor, "Florida Attorney General Seeks Elevated Illegal Gambling Penalties," Casino.org, November 25, 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Dave Grendzynski, "Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier Pushes to Make Illegal Gambling a Felony," Action Network, November 25, 2025.
⁵ Cristóbal Reyes, "Casino operator tied to former Osceola County sheriff pleads guilty to money laundering," Orlando Sentinel, November 25, 2025.
⁶ O'Connor, Casino.org.
⁷ MyNews13, "New court documents detail accusations against Marcos Lopez," September 12, 2025.
⁸ Click Orlando, "Suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez leaves jail after posting $1M bond," June 27, 2025.
⁹ Reyes, Orlando Sentinel.
¹⁰ Grendzynski, Action Network.
¹¹ Chavdar Vasilev, "Florida Seizes 22 Illegal Gambling Machines, $25K in Port Orange Raids," CasinoBeats, November 24, 2025.
¹² SCCG Management, "Florida's Gambler's Gambit: Cracking Down On Illegal Casinos," January 7, 2025.
¹³ O'Connor, Casino.org.
¹⁴ Grendzynski, Action Network.
¹⁵ Padilla, Florida News.
