The largest brand in online sweepstakes gaming is adjusting its offerings in Tennessee.
VGW, which owns Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker, will cease Sweeps Coin gameplay in Tennessee beginning on Dec. 23, a company spokesperson told Sweepsy late Wednesday night. And before that, on Nov. 24, players will stop being able to acquire any Sweeps Coins. Players will still be able to access VGW sites via Gold Coin gameplay.
“Following careful consideration, we can confirm we’ve informed players in Tennessee of a decision to phase out Promotional Play (sweepstakes promotions) in the state across our brands,” the VGW spokesperson told Sweepsy. “However, our valued players in Tennessee will still be able to enjoy all their favorite free-to-play games using Gold Coins. We are 100 percent focused on ensuring players are fully informed about the changes and that this transition is as smooth as possible.
“But we understand this is an adjustment after several years of enjoying our industry-leading brands and some players may be disappointed. This decision wasn’t taken lightly and was made based on a range of factors.”
This move from VGW feels like it all but confirms the presence of cease-and-desist orders against sweepstakes casinos in Tennessee.
Timeline for Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, Global Poker changes in Tennessee
Starting Nov. 24, 2025, Sweeps Coins will no longer be available to collect in any form — including login rewards, competitions, Gold Coin purchases, or AMOE postal requests. Players may continue using any Sweeps Coins already in their balance for gameplay until Dec. 23, 2025.
Starting Dec. 23, 2025, Sweeps Coins will no longer be able to be used to play any games, and VGW will stop processing AMOE postal requests. Players will still be able to submit Sweeps Coin redemption requests after this date.
Starting Jan. 20, 2026, VGW will no longer accept any redemption requests.
Recent wave of operator actions in Tennessee
On Tuesday, Sweepsy reported that five sweepstakes casinos — Stake.us, High 5 Casino, LoneStar Casino, RealPrize, and Lucky Bits Vegas — were all either fully or partially shutting down their operations in Tennessee either in November or December.
A Stake.us support agent told Sweepsy the platform will add Tennessee to its restricted list on Dec. 19, ending access to both Sweeps Coin and Gold Coin play. The move represents a full platform shutdown.
RealPrize and LoneStar, both operated by RealPlay Tech Inc., notified Tennessee users by email that they will also halt service. But they will only close down Sweeps Play gameplay in Tennessee, remaining active in the state following the same Gold Coin model as VGW. The Sweeps Coin shutdown for RealPrize and LoneStar in Tennessee will also take place Nov. 24.
It’s a similar story for High 5, which emailed Tennessee players there would be no new player registrations in the state beginning on Nov. 17 and no more Sweeps Coin gameplay beginning on Nov. 24.
Most logical cause? Cease-and-desist orders
The synchronized retreat of major sweepstakes casinos suggests something has shifted in Tennessee. Most likely, that shift is a batch of cease-and-desist letters sent to these operators (and likely more), prompting them to pull back on essentially the same timeline.
Throughout 2025, the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council has been busy policing sweeps sportsbooks. Legendz, Thrillzz, Sportzino, KicKr, and ReBet have all pulled their sweeps sportsbook platforms from the state this year. The SWAC publicly confirmed the exits of Legendz, Sportzino, KicKr, and ReBet, while Sweepsy independently learned of Thrillzz’s departure — though whether that one was voluntary or nudged by regulators is still unclear.
But the companies now withdrawing from Tennessee aren’t running sweeps sportsbooks. They’re offering casino-style games. And that distinction matters. Casino gaming falls outside the SWAC’s jurisdiction, which points toward a different source of enforcement: the state Attorney General’s office.
Adding to the speculation is a remark made on LinkedIn by F. Steven DiMasi, Light & Wonder’s Senior Vice President of Global Government Affairs and Business Development — and one of the industry’s most vocal critics of sweepstakes casinos. Shortly after news broke about cease-and-desist letters in Minnesota, he hinted that another state would “very soon” follow suit.
His comment didn’t name Tennessee. But given the timing of these abrupt withdrawals, it’s not hard to guess which state might fit the bill.
Sweepsy‘s requests for confirmation or comment from the Attorney General’s office and the SWAC have gone unanswered.
