Sweeping Contests Found Legally Sound Across 33 U.S. Territories
In the realm of online gaming, a significant shift is underway as multiple U.S. states have ramped up their efforts to curb sweepstakes casinos. This development, evident since April 2025, has seen several states passing anti-sweepstakes legislation, issuing cease-and-desist orders, or reinforcing legal opinions against these platforms.
Richard Janvrin, a seasoned journalist who began his career in sports coverage in 2015, has been at the forefront of reporting this evolving landscape. Entering the iGaming space in 2018, Janvrin has covered various aspects, including news, reviews, bonuses/promotions, sweepstakes casinos, and legal issues.
One of the key players in this movement is Richard Janvrin's home state, New Hampshire, where he graduated from the University of New Hampshire. However, the focus of his recent reports has been on states where anti-sweepstakes legislation has intensified.
States such as Montana, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Louisiana have passed legislation explicitly prohibiting sweepstakes casino games. Regulators in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, and others have sent cease-and-desist orders to operators for violating gambling laws, with private settlements and enforcement actions increasing.
In Montana, Senate Bill 555, a formal anti-sweepstakes law, was passed in May 2025 and will take effect in October, causing operators like Stake.us to exit. Louisiana's Attorney General issued a legal opinion unequivocally stating that casino-style sweepstakes platforms violate state law, despite an anti-sweeps bill being vetoed. Regulatory agencies there have pursued enforcement aggressively.
New York's AG sent cease-and-desist orders to 26 online sweepstakes casinos, asserting that betting with cash-redeemable virtual coins constitutes gambling, regardless of operators' characterization of the games. West Virginia and Maryland also demonstrated active enforcement through subpoenas and cease-and-desist letters.
California’s Legislature is advancing an anti-sweepstakes bill (AB831), which passed the Assembly unanimously and progressed favorably through Senate committees by July 2025, aiming to ban online sweepstakes games. The bill remains under consideration but signals growing opposition to these platforms.
This landscape reflects a growing consensus among state regulators and attorneys general that many sweepstakes casino models fall afoul of state gambling laws, resulting in a retreat of operators and increased legislative efforts nationwide. It is important to note that the legal opinions issued are interpretations of law, not facts.
As the landscape of iGaming continues to evolve, Richard Janvrin will undoubtedly continue to provide insightful and informative coverage on these developments.
Richard Janvrin, being an expert in various iGaming aspects, has reported on the increasingly stringent measures against sweepstakes casinos in states like New Jersey and Louisiana, as they have passed legislation banning these games. In his reports, he might discuss the welcome bonus offers available on legitimate casino-and-gambling platforms that have emerged as alternatives to sweepstakes casinos, with poker and sports betting being popular options among them.
