September brought relatively few changes to sweepstakes casino availability, but three platforms completed or began shutdowns as legal and regulatory pressure continued.
After a summer marked by widespread state exits, September brought a slowdown in changes to sweepstakes casino availability, with most movement limited to a handful of restrictions and Gold Coin-only adjustments.
Still, several operators adjusted their restricted jurisdiction lists, including delayed exits from Indiana and Maine, and a few adjustments in Oklahoma ahead of its Nov. 1 prohibition.
The bigger developments came elsewhere. LuckyLand Slots and CoinFrenzy completed previously announced shutdowns; The Win Zone announced a phased shutdown; VGW agreed to an $8 million settlement in New York; and Pennsylvania introduced a broad gaming bill that would prohibit online sweepstakes casinos.
Sweepstakes Casino State Restrictions Remain Limited
After widespread withdrawals from Indiana, Maine, Iowa and other states during June and July, September brought comparatively few changes.
Changes identified during September included:
- Pulsz and Pulsz Bingo moved Maine from fully restricted to Gold Coin-only. The platforms also added Oklahoma as a Gold Coin-only jurisdiction while removing Mississippi from their Gold Coin-only list.
- Speed Sweeps, Rich Sweeps and Sweeps Royal added Maine as a Gold Coin-only jurisdiction.
- Sixty6 and Sweeps Jungle added Indiana and Tennessee to their restricted territories.
- Jefebet added Maine and Iowa to its restricted list. The Iowa change reverses an August update that had reopened the state.
- Scrooge Casino added Indiana and Maine to its restricted territories.
- Lucky Rush added Indiana, Maine and Oklahoma to its restricted list.
The additions suggest some operators are still adjusting to recent laws. Indiana’s prohibition became effective July 1, followed by Maine on July 29 and Louisiana on Aug. 1.
LuckyLand Slots, CoinFrenzy Shut Down
September also completed two shutdowns announced previously.
VGW’s LuckyLand Slots permanently closed on Sept. 14 following a phased wind-down. The closure does not affect VGW’s separate LuckyLand Casino social gaming product or its Chumba Casino and Global Poker brands.
CoinFrenzy also ceased operations after Sept. 7. The platform initially announced a Sept. 25 deadline before moving the date forward to Sept. 7 during August.
Meanwhile, The Win Zone became the latest sweepstakes platform to begin a phased closure. The platform stopped purchases on Sept. 22, while gameplay ended on Sept. 24. Customers have until Oct. 23 to submit eligible redemption requests.
The three developments continue a broader contraction at the platform level. About a dozen sweepstakes casinos have shut down in the past several months, including recent closures of Sweep Next, The Money Factory and LuckyStake.
Legal and Regulatory Pressure Continues
While exits and eligibility adjustments stayed relatively slow, the sector continued to face enforcement and legislative pressure.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced an $8 million settlement with VGW on Sept. 9 following an investigation into Chumba Casino, Global Poker and LuckyLand Slots.
The agreement includes disgorgement, restitution, penalties and costs. VGW emphasized that the settlement does not constitute an admission of liability and noted that it had already stopped offering Sweeps Coin play in New York in 2025.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, meanwhile, expanded his state’s campaign against sweepstakes casinos beyond operators and payment processors.
After suing Stake and VGW in August, Uthmeier sent letters to Google, Meta, Reddit, Snap and TikTok over advertisements for sweepstakes casinos shown to Florida residents. The companies have until Oct. 23 to explain what steps they have taken to prevent the advertising.
Pennsylvania also emerged as another state to watch after Rep. Russ Diamond introduced HB 2801 on Sept. 24 as part of a broader gaming overhaul.
The bill would make it unlawful to operate, conduct or promote online sweepstakes games in Pennsylvania or to assist their operation. The measure explicitly targets the dual-currency system used by sweepstakes casinos, mirroring the approach in multiple other states.
Violations would carry fines ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 per violation, along with potential revocation or disqualification of the gaming license. The bill also gives the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and the Attorney General the authority to investigate violations and issue cease-and-desist orders.
While it settled with New York, VGW has also increased its political activity. Transparency USA data showed that the company has spent more than $1 million on political spending, including over half a million in Florida alone. Other targeted states include Alabama, Texas and Arizona.
What to Watch in October: Oklahoma Exits Could Accelerate
October could bring more adjustments to operators’ eligible state lists as Oklahoma’s Nov. 1 sweepstakes casino ban approaches. While a handful of platforms have already made adjustments tied to Oklahoma, most will likely wait until the deadline approaches.
Pennsylvania will also be worth watching. HB 2801 remains in the House Gaming Oversight Committee but faces a Nov. 30 legislative session deadline.
Another state to watch is Florida. Google, Meta, Reddit, Snap and TikTok face an Oct. 23 deadline to respond to the Attorney General’s demands over sweepstakes casino advertising, while new developments such as cease-and-desist orders could arrive.
Oct. 23 is also the final deadline for The Win Zone customers to submit redemption requests, completing another platform exit from the sweepstakes casino market.
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