VGW, the company behind Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Casino, and Global Poker, has been active in Arizona in the 2026 election cycle, donating $70,000 spread among multiple entities in a state that has proven itself to be tough on sweepstakes casinos.
For the 2026 cycle, VGW has sent financial donations to three Republican organizations: the Arizona Senate Victory Fund PAC ($30,000), House Victory Fund ($30,000), and Restore Order Arizona ($10,000), according to data from TransparencyUSA.org.
These organizations are affiliated with lawmakers who influence Arizona’s gaming laws — and, in the case of Restore Order Arizona, a campaign to replace the state’s Attorney General.
The Arizona Department of Gaming has sent cease-and-desist orders to several sweeps gaming operators and also issued specific guidance concerning sweepstakes casinos, saying that they constitute illegal gambling.
The legislative route
VGW’s Arizona activity is part of a larger political and lobbying push in 2026, as VGW has also sent political donations to candidates or organizations in Florida, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Both of VGW’s $30,000 donations in Arizona went to organizations whose primary purpose is helping Republicans maintain control of the state legislature.
The Arizona Senate Victory Fund describes itself as supporting the Republican Senate majority, while the House Victory Fund similarly describes itself as the official campaign committee for Arizona House Republicans.
Neither committee is a gambling-specific organization. Their importance to VGW comes from the legislative power they help preserve. So far, the Arizona Legislature has not considered a bill formally outlawing sweepstakes casinos. Instead, action has only been initiated from the Arizona Department of Gaming, which has sent cease-and-desists to sweeps operators including Pulsz, Modo.us, Fliff, Thrillzz, Stake.us, High 5 Casino, Rebet, and Betty Sweeps over the past two years.
Notably, VGW has not received any cease-and-desist in Arizona and all its sites continue to fully operate with both Gold Coin gameplay and Sweeps Coin gameplay in the state.
Throwing weight behind a candidate for Attorney General?
The most direct connection between VGW’s political spending and gambling enforcement comes from its contribution to Restore Order Arizona, as this organization has been spending money supporting Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen’s campaign for Attorney General.
That connection is particularly notable because the Attorney General’s office can play an important role in enforcing state laws involving businesses operating in Arizona — which means it can play an important role in deciding whether sweeps gaming companies are allowed.
Restore Order Arizona has attracted substantial funding from businesses and interests that have had disputes with the current Attorney General, Democrat Kris Mayes, per reporting from the Arizona Mirror.
With the Arizona Department of Gaming so far being the only state entity to formally come after sweeps casinos, perhaps there is hope on VGW’s end that a donation to support Petersen’s campaign could help VGW and the sweeps industry should he get elected.
Reading between the lines of the $70,000 in political spending
The recipients provide clues about the types of political relationships that could be valuable to a company facing regulatory uncertainty, as the entire sweeps industry currently is in Arizona.
The Senate Victory Fund and House Victory Fund support Republican legislative majorities. Those lawmakers can influence whether or not Arizona legislatively bans dual-currency gaming at sweepstakes casinos.
Restore Order Arizona is supporting Petersen’s bid for Attorney General, putting VGW’s money behind an operation connected to a statewide office with huge law enforcement responsibilities.
So, the contributions give VGW potential relationships across two different parts of the state’s political structure: the lawmakers who write the rules and the office that can enforce them.
Where else has VGW spent politically in 2026?
VGW’s donations in Arizona are nowhere near the amounts it has put into political activity in other states this election cycle.
In Florida, VGW has contributed $562,500 to candidates and political organizations since December 2025, according to TransparencyUSA.org. Those contributions have included $150,000 to Honest Leadership and $100,000 to gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds.
Alabama has also received substantially more VGW money. The company has contributed $351,000 to Alabama political races during the 2026 campaign season, including a $100,000 contribution to U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s gubernatorial campaign and a previous $30,000 contribution to Tuberville.
Elsewhere, VGW gave $25,000 to Kentucky’s Commonwealth Conservation Coalition and $15,000 to a Tennessee PAC supporting Marsha Blackburn.
Tribal gaming influence in Arizona
Tribal gaming plays a major role in the state’s gambling market, and when Arizona expanded into legal sports betting, the framework was built around partnerships involving the state’s tribal gaming interests. That existing structure has also likely shaped how regulators have approached the growing sweeps industry.
Although lawmakers did not approve legislation specifically targeting sweepstakes casinos during the 2026 legislative session, Arizona regulators have nevertheless taken a notably aggressive approach toward the industry.
The key question now is whether those enforcement efforts remain isolated or eventually create momentum for lawmakers to pursue a broader ban or other legislation aimed at sweepstakes gaming. For now, Arizona’s approach remains focused more heavily on regulatory enforcement than a new statewide ban.
