Sweepstakes casinos weren’t on any ballot Nov. 3, but some of the officials who police them were. Voters in 30 states chose attorneys general, and at least 11 states will have a new one when terms begin in January. That matters because AGs have become a major source of enforcement pressure alongside legislatures. Kentucky, Florida and Arkansas have sued VGW, New York secured an $8 million settlement from the operator, …
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s reelection leaves New York’s sweepstakes casino ban exactly where it was, and leaves online casino legalization just as unsettled. Hochul beat Republican Bruce Blakeman on November 3, with the Associated Press calling the race as polls closed. The sweepstakes ban itself isn’t in doubt. What remains open is whether New York will ever replace it with a licensed online casino market, and the governor hasn’t said she’d …
Arkansas has become the latest state to take VGW to court. Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a civil suit on November 4 in White County Circuit Court, alleging that the company’s sweepstakes casino platforms amount to illegal gambling under state law. The complaint targets seven VGW-related companies and four brands: Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Casino, LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker. The allegations have not been decided by a court. At the …
Hacksaw Gaming, a supplier whose slots sit on many sweepstakes casino lobbies, is changing its leadership and refocusing its game lineup after a third quarter that grew far more slowly than investors have come to expect. Revenue still rose 12% to €58.1 million, but the company has set a long-term target of more than 30% annual growth. The miss was enough to rattle the market. Shares fell more than 27% …
Leading iGaming developer and producer Light & Wonder’s third-quarter revenue slipped 2% to $824 million. The cause was not broad weakness. iGaming rose 13% to $97 million, and its platform processed a record $31.7 billion in wagers. But SciPlay, the company’s social casino unit, fell 12% to $173 million, and management now expects full-year adjusted EBITDA growth toward the low end of its range. The quarter shows how one soft …
ARB Interactive, the company behind sweepstakes casino Modo.us and Publishers Clearing House, unveiled the Modo Super Gaming App on Monday, combining social and sweepstakes casino games, an arcade and a new collectible card product under one account and wallet. A real-money predictions section is listed as coming soon, with no launch date. The app is organized around three categories. “Play” covers Social+ games, the company’s term for its sweepstakes casino …
Oklahoma’s ban on dual-currency sweepstakes casino games took effect Sunday, November 1, ending a rollout of exits, restrictions and cutoff dates that began last month. Some operators left the state entirely, while others kept Gold Coin games and removed Sweeps Coins. No enforcement action under the new law has been announced. Senate Bill 1589 bars online casino games, including slot-style games, that use a “representative of value,” which the enrolled …
Sweepstakes casinos will not appear on any ballot Tuesday. But voters in several states will choose governors, attorneys general and legislators who will help decide whether sweepstakes bans pass in 2027 and how existing laws are enforced. Political spending by sweepstakes operators, led by VGW, has drawn attention in some of those races. A contribution does not establish a policy position, and candidates in both parties have received money. Every …
The Chumba brand is reappearing in Oklahoma in a different form. Days before the state’s ban on dual-currency sweepstakes games takes effect, Chumba Casino has told Oklahoma players about Chumba Spins, a real-money site built on horse race betting pools, now in closed beta. An email to Oklahoma players says promotional play at Chumba Casino is being phased out in the state. It then introduces Chumba Spins as a place …
A Minneapolis software company has sued its former exclusive Texas distributors in federal court, alleging they copied its sweepstakes game math and reel strips into a competing product called Phantom. Technology Holdings Corporation Inc. and three affiliates filed the complaint on October 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. The defendants have not publicly responded, and the claims are allegations. The plaintiffs are Technology Holdings …
WOW Vegas and Rolla Casino have ended Sweeps Coin gameplay for players in Iowa, leaving only the Gold Coin-style currency available. Two other sites run by the same company have not made the same change, and the operator has not said why. Players in Iowa who open WOW Vegas see a notice that access is limited to social casino mode, where only WOW Coins can be played. Rolla Casino shows …
Eight months after the Illinois Gaming Board sent cease-and-desist letters to more than 60 online casino and sweepstakes operators, the results are mixed. Some brands have restricted Illinois, while several well-known platforms continue to serve the state. The board issued the letters on February 5, 2026, in coordination with the attorney general’s office. No lawsuit or other court action by the state over the letters has been publicly reported. According …
Sweepstakes casinos have responded to state cease-and-desist orders by leaving or restricting play, not by suing regulators. As Kentucky and Florida file lawsuits instead of sending letters, operators are being pulled into court as defendants. The pattern stands out because other gambling-adjacent industries have gone to court over similar orders. Polymarket US sued Ohio on October 16 over a cease-and-desist letter. Sweepstakes operators have not publicly taken that route, and …
A federal judge in California has declined to send a lawsuit against VGW Holdings and its partners to arbitration. The ruling holds that the spouses suing the company are not bound by the arbitration terms their partners accepted. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued the order on September 18, 2026, in Brown v. VGW Holdings US Inc., No. 4:25-cv-07071, in the Northern District of California. According to the order published …
Yellow Social Interactive, the operator behind Pulsz and Pulszbingo, has agreed to an estimated $14 million class action settlement over allegations that its sale of virtual coins violated gambling laws in six states. The agreement received preliminary court approval on Aug. 31, 2026, although the settlement still requires final approval. The case targeted the way consumers spent money playing Pulsz and Pulszbingo. The lawsuit alleged those purchases ran afoul of …
Washington, D.C. lawmakers are considering an approach to sweepstakes casinos that differs from the straightforward prohibitions gaining traction elsewhere. Rather than simply trying to remove sweepstakes casino platforms from the market, legislation before the D.C. Council would establish a regulated real-money online casino industry while addressing unlicensed sweepstakes sites. Bill B26-0656, the Internet Gaming and Consumer Protection Act of 2026, was introduced in April and received a public hearing on …
October is shaping up to be another consequential month for the U.S. sweepstakes casino market. Several platforms are either shutting down entirely or reducing where their sweepstakes products are available, giving players a series of deadlines to follow before the end of the month. GiddyUp and Coin Wizard Games are winding down on separate schedules, while Baba Casino and ACE Casino are retreating from the Oklahoma sweepstakes market. The changes …
Pennsylvania lawmakers are weighing another significant change to the state’s gambling landscape, this time targeting online sweepstakes casinos with a proposed penalty that could make violations particularly costly. House Bill 2801 would prohibit online sweepstakes casinos and establish fines of $500,000 per offense. The proposal arrives as Pennsylvania is already navigating a major shift involving skill-game machines. In June, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reversed Commonwealth Court decisions that had allowed …
Indiana’s sweepstakes casino debate could look considerably different in its next legislative chapter. Ron Alting, one of the state Senate’s most prominent voices for considering regulation rather than prohibition, has stepped back from active campaigning while seeking medical evaluation and treatment. He remains on the Nov. 3 ballot for Senate District 22. The longtime Republican senator has represented District 22 since 1998 and is seeking another term against Democratic challenger …
Sweepstakes casinos are facing a complicated period in the U.S. gaming market. While lawmakers and regulators continue debating how casino-style sweepstakes platforms should be treated, the technology behind online casino products is becoming faster and more sophisticated. That combination has created an unusual divide. Sweepstakes casinos and social gaming platforms have broadened access to casino-style entertainment in states without legal real-money online casinos, while regulators are increasingly questioning whether dual-currency …
The US sweepstakes casino industry could continue growing in 2027 despite facing an increasingly difficult regulatory environment. Eilers & Krejcik Gaming projects the market will expand by 12.9% next year under its base-case forecast, suggesting state restrictions may not be enough to stop broader industry growth. The forecast comes as operators contend with challenges to the dual-currency model that has traditionally defined sweepstakes casinos. Several states have moved against platforms …
Oklahoma’s sweepstakes casino market is beginning to contract ahead of a major regulatory change, with Modo and Stake.us announcing restrictions for customers in the state. The changes arrive only weeks before Senate Bill 1589 takes effect on Nov. 1. The law expands Oklahoma’s gambling statutes to address online casino-style games and dual-currency systems in which virtual currency can ultimately be exchanged for prizes, cash or cash equivalents. Modo has already …
Wyoming lawmakers have moved a proposed crackdown on online sweepstakes casinos closer to consideration during the state’s 2027 legislative session. The Select Committee on Gaming voted unanimously to sponsor draft legislation that would bring online casino and sweepstakes operations under Wyoming’s professional gambling laws. The committee took up the proposal during its Oct. 5-6 meeting. However, the vote does not itself change Wyoming law. The proposal would still have to …
New details have emerged regarding a class-action settlement involving sweepstakes casino operator Pulsz and its companion platform, Pulsz Bingo. The agreement gives eligible players in six states a choice between receiving in-platform Gold Coins or electing a cash payment based on their historical spending. According to settlement information, the case stems from claims that purchases of virtual currency on the platforms amounted to illegal gambling under certain state laws. The …
The sweepstakes casino industry is expected to remain under the microscope in 2027 following two years of aggressive legislative activity across multiple states. According to Social Gaming Leadership Alliance Executive Director Sean Ostrow, the organization expects to remain heavily involved in policy discussions as lawmakers continue to evaluate how sweepstakes platforms should operate. Speaking with Sweepsy, Ostrow said the organization plans to spend significant time educating lawmakers about the Social …
Wyoming lawmakers are revisiting the state’s approach to sweepstakes casinos this week as members of the Select Committee on Gaming meet in Rock Springs to review two competing legislative drafts. The committee’s October 5-6 meeting discussed whether Wyoming should prohibit online sweepstakes casinos and similar gaming models or establish a legal framework to regulate and authorize them. While no vote had been reported at the time of the meeting, the …
September proved to be one of the most turbulent months the sweepstakes casino industry has faced in the United States. Multiple operators exited the market, several brands expanded state restrictions, and thousands of players were left navigating changing platform policies and redemption deadlines. The developments added to a growing trend throughout 2026, a year that has seen increasing regulatory pressure, market exits, and operational changes across the sweepstakes gaming sector. …
High 5 Games Reaches Washington Settlement Worth Up to $30 Million High 5 Games has agreed to a settlement worth between $12 million and $30 million, bringing a long-running legal dispute in Washington state closer to resolution. The agreement stems from allegations that the company’s social casino products violated Washington gambling laws by allowing users to purchase virtual coins used in casino-style games. The settlement follows years of litigation over …
The landscape of sweepstakes casinos in the US is changing regularly. 2026 has seen several states move to ban brands from operating within their borders while other motions have stalled in the House or Senate of respective juradisctions.
Our team of experts are follow every active bill closely as well as reporting on the current situation across the US and how sweepstakes casinos are adapting their services to meet the needs of players.
