Popular sweepstakes operator Thrillzz immediately pulled out of Arizona following a cease-and-desist letter issued by the Arizona Department of Gaming last week. This order was also provided to Fliff, Pulsz, and Betty Sweeps, but these sites haven’t left Arizona just yet.
Unlike other sweepstakes casinos, Thrillzz also offers event wagering, where users can make sports picks, similar to online sportsbooks. The same can be said for Fliff, which was also given a cease-and-desist order.
The Arizona Department of Gaming issued a public statement earlier this week, where they argued that these operators function “without regulatory safeguards,” making them unsafe for the general public.
This regulatory body found that Thrillzz violates the following Arizona laws:
Each of these violations is a felony, which is why Thrillzz immediately ceased operations within the Copper State.
Thrillzz’s swift withdrawal from Arizona demonstrates a notably different approach to regulatory enforcement compared to other sweepstakes operators. Within 24 hours of receiving a cease-and-desist order, the company updated its terms of service to block Arizona users, while competitors like Fliff, Pulsz, and Betty Sweeps had yet to make similar adjustments.
This rapid compliance highlights a willingness to prioritize compliance to state directives, even at the cost of market access, setting an example for how sweepstakes platforms may respond to increasing legal scrutiny across the country. For instance, earlier this month, California’s anti-sweeps bill was fast-tracked with gut and amend policy.
The following states are now on the excluded list for Thrillzz:
Back in June, both Stake.us and High 5 Casino exited Arizona following a cease-and-desist letter, just like Thrillzz has done this month.
Despite Thrillz’ exit, there are still several sweepstakes casinos available in Arizona, including the following:
Many of these are newer platforms, such as RealPrize, LoneStar, and Jackpota. It remains to be seen if they will face similar legal action like Thrillzz, and if they’ll respond similarly.
However, it’s not all an uphill battle for those wanting to remain in the sweepstakes industry. There has been recent positive news for operators when McLuck reopened in Georgia and Alabama. Thrillz’ quick departure from the Arizona sweeps market may not necessarily indicate a permanent one, depending on how the state proceeds forward in the future.
