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 to play for real cash, powered by live horse racing. Players who receive the invitation can sign up now, and a 100% credit match applies to a first purchase.
Chumba Spins has its own website, which currently shows a closed-beta page where uninvited visitors can join a waitlist. Its terms name Game Play Network, Inc. as the operator, not VGW, the company behind Chumba Casino. Game Play Network also runs Horseplay, an advance deposit wagering service. VGW has not publicly explained its role in the new site.
The terms say Chumba Spins is authorized in Oklahoma, California and Delaware, and that users must be 21 or older.
Advance deposit wagering, or ADW, is a form of pari-mutuel betting in which customers fund accounts and place wagers on horse races. On sites of this type, a player’s purchase is placed as a bet in a race pool, and slot-style games reveal the outcome of that underlying wager. Winnings go to a cash account that can be withdrawn.
The setup differs from a sweepstakes casino, where Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins are used together and Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for prizes. Operators of ADW games describe them as wagering on real races, and game selection may be narrower because each title must map to race payout tables.
Senate Bill 1589 amends the state’s gambling law to cover online casino games, including games that simulate slots, lotteries or bingo when a person risks a “representative of value.” The enrolled text defines that term to include currency in a dual-currency system that can be exchanged for a prize, cash or a chance to win.
Violations are a Class C2 felony, with a fine of $500 to $2,000 plus imprisonment. Liability reaches owners, employees, geolocation providers, gaming suppliers, platform providers, promoters and media affiliates. The law has exceptions for tribal gaming and charity games.
The Senate passed the bill 48-0 on March 2, and the House passed it 65-21 on May 4. Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed it on May 7. The Senate overrode the veto 34-10 on May 11, and the House overrode it 68-19 on May 14, according to the bill’s history. The law takes effect November 1.
Game Play Network’s terms list ADW service in more than 15 states, including Oklahoma, California and Delaware. Chumba Spins’ terms currently name only those three. California and New York have also enacted laws aimed at dual-currency sweepstakes games.
Chumba Spins describes itself as pari-mutuel wagering, not a dual-currency game. No Oklahoma official has publicly addressed whether slot-style games that reveal race results fall under SB 1589. No comment from the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission, which oversees racing and wagering in the state, was found.
Loading …
