JEFF AMY, Associated Press

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — The nation’s casino owners and gambling machine makers say they want to team with states to crack down on illegal gambling.

American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman told the National Association of Attorneys General on Monday in Mississippi that they “have a shared interest in putting an end to illegal gambling.”

Freeman said illegal gambling siphons off money from legitimate casinos. He said states should care because illegal operations don’t pay taxes, aren’t regulated to protect consumers and may be funding other criminal operations.

The association is calling on states to crack down on illegal sports betting, sweepstakes cafes, black market slot machines and online gambling sites hosted in other countries.

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, president of the prosecutors’ association, said it may create a committee on illegal gambling.