Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed AB 831, which prohibits sweepstakes casinos, into law in October 2025. The marketing or facilitation of sweepstakes-style internet gaming will be prohibited in the Golden State as of January 1, 2026.
Affiliates and payment processors will also be subject to enforcement of the new California state law.
2025’s sweeping casino bans
In 2025, sweepstakes casinos were outlawed in many states, including California. That list, as of December 2025, consists of:
Connecticut
Montana, Idaho
New Jersey
Washington
On December 5, Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, approved a prohibition on sweepstakes casinos. In June 2025, that law was first approved by both houses of the New York State Legislature.
Maine, Maryland, and Indiana are among the other states considering outlawing sweepstakes casinos.
ALSO READ: The 12 Most Important Gamblers in 2025
2026 sweepstakes casinos: A shifting environment
During COVID-19 lockdowns, sweepstakes casinos gained appeal along with a sharp rise in mobile gaming popularity. Legal Michigan internet casinos observed an increase in players placing bets via mobile devices as a result of the closure of retail casinos.
Top sweepstakes casino brands like VGW’s Chumba Casino and Luckyland Slots filled the void left by the restrictive legislative procedure for legalizing real money online casinos.
However, even Luckyland Slots has undergone a rebranding attempt (to LuckyLand Casino) due to the fact that sweep casinos are prohibited in several areas in 2025.
As of 2026, qualified U.S. players should anticipate a shifting scene with VGW’s elimination of sweepstakes casinos like Chumba Casino from New Jersey, New York, and California.
Courtesy: https://www.covers.com, https://www.casino.org, https://pechanga.net
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