Where sweepstakes casinos are banned: state laws in 2026

Last verified: 14 October 2026. Legal status may change. Several states passed or brought new rules into force in 2026. If you read this after a few months, check your state's own legislature and the operator's rules.

The short answer

Ten states have now passed laws aimed squarely at online sweepstakes casinos, the dual-currency sites explained in our guide to how sweepstakes casinos work. Three more, Idaho, Nevada and Washington, have no sweepstakes-specific law but appear on operators' excluded lists. Michigan has seen regulator action without a new law.

States with sweepstakes-specific laws

State	Law	Signed	In force	What it does
California	AB 831	11 October 2025	1 January 2026	Bans online sweepstakes games; reaches payment processors, geolocation providers, platform providers and media affiliates. Misdemeanour, fines up to $25,000 or up to a year in county jail
Connecticut	SB 1235 (Public Act 25-112)	June 2025	Not confirmed	Bans offering or promoting sweepstakes that use simulated gambling devices or offer prizes redeemable for cash; violations carry the professional gambling penalty and count as unfair or deceptive trade practices
Indiana	HB 1052	March 2026	1 July 2026	Bans multi-currency games that imitate casino games, lottery or sports betting; civil penalty of $100,000, enforced by the Indiana Gaming Commission
Louisiana	HB 883 and HB 53	May 2026 (HB 883 on 15 May)	1 August 2026	Targets online dual-currency casino games; HB 53 brings illegal gambling, including unauthorised electronic sweepstakes, under racketeering law, with criminal penalties
Maine	LD 2007	6 April 2026	Expected mid-July 2026 (about 90 days after the session ended)	Civil fines of $10,000 to $100,000 per violation; licence revocation for licensed operators who break it
Montana	SB 555	May 2025	1 October 2025	Treats online casinos "by whatever name known" as prohibited internet gambling; knowing violations are a felony
New Jersey	A5447	15 August 2025	Not confirmed	Bans sweepstakes gambling, including dual-currency prize systems, unless strict free-entry and equal-odds conditions are met; fines of $100,000 for a first offence and $250,000 after that
New York	S5935-A (chapter 605 of 2025)	5 December 2025	Immediately	Bans operating, promoting or supporting online sweepstakes games; covers media affiliates; fines of $10,000 to $100,000 per violation
Oklahoma	SB 1589	Vetoed 7 May 2026; veto overridden 14 May 2026	1 November 2026	Class C2 felony with fines of $500 to $2,000 and up to 30 days in jail; reaches suppliers, geolocation providers, promoters and affiliates
Tennessee	SB 2136 / HB 1885	22 May 2026	Immediately	Bans virtual, dual- or multi-currency games that replicate slots, table games, bingo, lottery games, video poker or unlicensed sports wagering; enforced under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977

Dates marked "not confirmed" are ones we could not verify from a source we opened. The laws are in place either way.

Excluded by operators, without a sweepstakes law

These states have no sweepstakes-specific statute, but they appear on operators' excluded-state lists, including the rules we reviewed. None of the laws below mentions sweepstakes; they are the general gambling rules in each state. Whether a particular sweepstakes model breaks them is a question for the courts and regulators, not something we can settle here.

State	Legal basis	Notes
Idaho	Idaho Constitution, Article III, Section 20	Declares gambling "contrary to public policy" and prohibits it except for a state lottery, pari-mutuel betting and charitable bingo and raffles, none of which may use casino gambling or electronic imitations of it. It also says merchant promotional contests run without payment from participants are not gambling
Nevada	SB 256 (2025), chapter 337, in force 1 October 2025	Does not mention sweepstakes. It requires courts to order disgorgement of profits from illegal gaming and raises some wagering offences from misdemeanours to gross misdemeanours. Approved by the governor on 5 June 2025
Washington	RCW 9.46.240	Makes knowingly transmitting or receiving gambling information over the internet a class C felony, unless it relates to activities authorised under the state gambling act (chapter 9.46 RCW)

Enforcement without a new law: Michigan

Michigan has no sweepstakes-specific statute, but its regulator has acted. On 12 February 2025 the Michigan Gaming Control Board sent cease-and-desist letters to nine unlicensed online casinos, saying that one method these platforms use to evade regulatory scrutiny "is by operating under the guise of sweepstakes". It gave them 14 days from receipt to stop and said it would work with the Michigan Attorney General's Office on further action if they did not. Michigan is also on the excluded list in the operator rules we reviewed.

Operators set their own lists

A state not appearing above does not mean every site accepts players there. Each operator publishes an excluded-state list in its sweepstakes rules, and those lists differ between operators and change over time. Read the eligibility section of the rules before you buy anything. If your state is excluded, a redemption can be refused.

Why affiliates and media are covered

The newer laws reach beyond operators. California's AB 831 applies to any "financial institution, payment processor, geolocation provider", and any "gaming content supplier, platform provider, or media affiliate" that knowingly and wilfully supports online sweepstakes games, directly or indirectly, including their promotion. New York's law uses similar wording and names media affiliates. According to Covers, Oklahoma's law reaches game suppliers, location-verification vendors, promoters and affiliates.

For publishers this matters. Hub of Luck does not list or link to sweepstakes casinos for readers in any state on this page.

What it means for you

Check before you buy. Gold Coin packs are usually non-refundable under operators' rules. If your state is excluded, any Sweeps Coins that come with them may never be redeemable.
Redeem or close out before a ban begins. Contact the site, ask how balances are handled, and keep records.
Do not use a VPN to get round an exclusion. It breaks the rules and is the quickest way to lose a balance.

Where we list sweepstakes sites

We list sweepstakes sites only in states where the model is not banned or treated as illegal by the state regulator or attorney general, and where the operator itself accepts players. Every state's status, with sources is checked against each state's regulator and statutes. The sweepstakes hub has the overview. Licensed real-money casinos are available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Play it safe

Gambling is entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide your budget before you start, use the deposit limits every licensed site offers, and stop when it stops being fun.

Free, confidential help where you live

Questions people ask

Are sweepstakes casinos legal in my state?

Check the tables on this page, then check the operator's own excluded-state list in its sweepstakes rules. If either says no, do not play. The law changes often, so look at the last-verified date.

Can I be prosecuted for playing?

The laws on this page are aimed mainly at operators and the companies that support them, such as payment processors, platform providers and affiliates. Even so, playing where a site has excluded your state breaks its rules, and a redemption can be refused.

What happens to my Sweeps Coins if my state bans sweepstakes?

Read the operator's terms on closing accounts in excluded states, contact the site before the ban starts, and keep records of your balance and any redemption requests.

Sources

Facts checked 14 Oct 2026. Compliance review 14 Oct 2026.

Hub of Luck is an independent guide, not an operator, regulator or law firm. Spotted an error? We correct within 48 hours. Editorial policy · How we test · How we make money