Why Trust Sweepsy?
Sweepsy has built a reputation as a respected trade publication within the sweepstakes and social casino industry. Our work is frequently cited by industry analysts, regulatory experts, and even major news outlets looking for clear, fact-based coverage of an incredibly fast-moving market.
From day one, our goal has been to take a balanced approach for the industry and players. We donât lean into hype or gossip. Instead, our reporting is grounded in objectivity, highlighting both opportunities and concerns as they arise. This approach has helped position Sweepsy as a go-to reference point for those who want reliable insights into trends, promotions, legislation, and business developments in the space.
Sweepsy.com is owned by Pacific Tide Media. The team behind the site consists of industry experts with decades of experience as writers, editors, journalists, players and more.
Meet the team
Our content team brings diverse expertise in journalism and research-driven content creation. Each piece undergoes multiple stages of development, from initial briefs through writing, editing, and rigorous fact-checking. We maintain regular update cycles to ensure all content accurately reflects current market conditions.
Matt Coles
With over 17 years of experience in affiliate marketing and SEO, Matt Coles has helped businesses maximize online visibility and achieve organic growth. Since 2007, Matt has held leadership roles across the online gambling industry, driving innovation and delivering measurable results.
- Area of expertise: SEO, Marketing, iGaming
- Social media: LinkedIn
- Years of experience: 17
Matt calls Vancouver Island home, where he embraces the outdoor West Coast lifestyleâmountain biking, skiing, surfing and living his best life.
Cheryle Shepstone
With nearly two decades of experience in content, SEO, and operational leadership, Cheryle has built and managed multiple affiliate networks. She helps scale initiatives that blend audience insights with fast execution. She’s passionate about big ideas, moving quickly, and making sure every decision is rooted in what the audience wants and needs.
- Area of expertise: SEO, Marketing, iGaming
- Social media: LinkedIn
- Years of experience: 19
I love to learn, which is why I find this industry and SEO so interesting.
Grant Lucas
A longtime and award-winning journalist, Grant moved from general sports reporting to covering the legalization of sports betting and online casino gaming in 2018 and has since established himself as a reliable and go-to source on the industry, covering and becoming an expert on the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York markets – among others – during that time.
Grant covers the news on Sweepsy, including regulation and provides insights into what’s happening.
Cole Rush
Cole Rush has been in the gambling industry orbit for more than 10 years. His work spans the entire gambling ecosystem, including sports betting, sweepstakes gaming, lottery, and online casinos. Cole relishes writing about the weird and wacky corners of the gambling world, but he happily covers the usual suspects as well.
- Area of expertise: Comparison guides
- Social media: LinkedIn
- Years experience: 10
Cole specializes in honest reviews of gambling and gambling-adjacent platforms. He brings a playerâs perspective to every word he writes.
Valerie Cross
Valerie Cross, Ph.D., is a seasoned editor, writer, and content strategist with a passion for the iGaming industry. With over seven years of experience crafting compelling content in gambling, poker, sports betting, and affiliate marketing, Valerie has honed her expertise in bringing timely, engaging, and data-driven stories to life.
When sheâs not covering sweepstakes casinos or the latest gambling trends, Valerie enjoys traveling, playing poker, and attending sporting events.
Christopher Feery
Sharing knowledge with readers is one of Chris’ passions. He does so in various ways, with reviews, how-to guides, analysis, news, and more. Christopher aims to keep things simple while serving as a trusted resource for online players.
Christopher has been writing professionally for several years, contributing to multiple outlets along the way.
Nicole Myslik
Nicole is our go-to expert for ensuring our pages are always accurate. She is a pro at creating dynamic, user-friendly pages so you can find what you need. With a keen eye for detail, Nicole handles weekly and monthly content updates and fact-checks information.
- Area of expertise: Content editing and fact-checking
- Experience: Catena Media
- Years experience: 4
Nicole has a passion for sports and outdoor activities, whether it be playing baseball or enjoying a round of golf. With a competitive spirit and love of the game, you will always see Nicole on the ball field or watching her Blue Jays play the game she loves.
Sadonna Price
As a writer, Sadonna strives to provide honest and real information with no sugarcoating. She has worked with several top research sites in the industry, providing the essential details for players interested in iGaming.
Sadonna does a little of everything at Sweepsy. She covers local news, provides insights as a player and has reviewed the majority of the sweepstake casinos.
Dan Holmes
Dan launched his first website in the 1990s. He has written more than 4 million words for the internet and print. He previously worked for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Major League Baseball, and minor league baseball as a producer and writer. His writing has appeared in The Athletic, Sporting News, Detroit Free Press, The Oklahoman, and Wall Street Journal. He has nearly a decade of experience covering the gaming industry in the United States.
Dan covers news and regulatory developments for the gaming industry, including online casinos, sports betting, retail casinos and lottery.
Media mentions
Sweepsyâs reporting has been recognized across the industry, with mentions in leading news outlets, trade publications, and analyst reports. These citations reflect our commitment to balanced, fact-driven and original coverage of the sweepstakes / social casino space.
- Forbes.com (08/25/2025): âThe gambling internet cafĂ© operations have transitioned into calling the internet home,â one lawsuit proclaims, pointing to VGWâs alleged role in âpioneering this migration of âsweepstakes casinosâ to the world wide web.â (Daniel Wallach)
- STP Substack (08/19/2025): California tribe breaks ranks and supports sweepstakes [Sweepsy]: In California, the Kletsel Economic Development Authority (KEDA) has urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to reject AB 831, a bill restricting casino-style online sweepstakes games. (Steve Ruddock)
- Yogonet.com (07/15/2025): As reported by Sweepsy.com, a news and trade publication, VGW has implemented a sales tax on Gold Coin purchases in a handful of states as its entry point to working with regulators. (Yogonet staff)
- Next.io (07/11/2025): A VGW spokesperson told sweepstakes casino trade site Sweepsy yesterday: âWe acknowledge this is a change for some of our players, but as the legal framework has evolved over time, weâve determined it is the appropriate time to take this action. (Zak Thomas-Akoo)
- SGLA (07/03/2025): Sweepsy: For sweeps casinos, Reddit post helps show why they want regulation over bans (SGLA)
- NelsonMullins.com (06/27/2025): In addition, anti-gambling legislation that targets payment processors in addition to operators and other vendors and suppliers has been circulating in a growing pool of states. (Katherine Guarino Baker)
- EGR Global (06/18/2025): Both state regulators have ordered multiple sweepstakes operators to halt all activities, with offshore, unlicensed bookmakers also caught in regulatory sting. (Josh O’Brian)
- SportsBettingDime (05/27/2025): âWe can confirm that following careful consideration, weâve informed players of a decision to phase out Promotional Play (sweepstakes promotions) in the state of New York,â a VGW spokesperson said. (Robert Linneham)
- TheClosingLine (03/27/2025): Following Senate Bill S9226, which seeks to ban online sweepstakes casinos in the state explicitly, companies like Hello Millions, SportsMillions, PlayFame, SpinBlitz, and now Rolling Riches have begun winding down their services for New York residents. (Dustin Gouker)
- Compliance +More (02/25/2025): Sweepsy has looked into what the new Google Ads regime being launched on April 14 will mean for sweepstakes casinos and suggested that, while âon the surfaceâ nothing appears to have changed, the devil lies in the details. (Compliance+More)
- SBCAmericas (02/18/2025): The worldâs largest sweepstakes casino operator has announced the raising of its minimum playing age from 18 to 21 marking a significant shift in the industry. VGW has applied the age requirement to its Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker brands. (Justin Byers)
Additional resources: Contact Us – Editorial Standards – Privacy Policy
Transparency
To provide honest reviews players can trust.
Creating honest and trustworthy reviews for sweepstakes casinos requires a structured approach that ensures accuracy, transparency, and impartiality.
Dedication
A passion for the industry and continuous growth.
Each team member is deeply passionate about the iGaming industry and committed to its growth. We prioritize testing, experimenting, and conducting thorough research.
Education
Making sure players have what they need.
We aim to empower our readers by providing them with all the necessary information to make informed choices. Our goal is to ensure players have easy access to comprehensive and reliable insights.
Our commitment to responsible gambling
Sweepstakes casinos are a form of entertainment. Our priority at this site includes not just the enjoyment and transparency around sweeps, but the safety of our readers.
We only promote sweepstakes casinos that include policies and accessible responsible gaming resources. You can usually find a link to these resources near the bottom of the main lobby at a sweepstakes casino.
Some of these tools can include:
- Purchase limits – Set a limit on how much you can spend on Gold Coins packages in a given time period
- Time limits – Set a limit on how much time you can spend logged into your account in a given day.
- Take a break – This feature allows you to take a break from a sweepstakes casino by limiting your access for a set amount of time. This time period is usually anywhere from one week to 30 days.
- Self-exclusion – The self-exclusion tool allows you to limit your access to a sweepstakes casino for a longer period, usually up to six months. After that period, you can request access to your account again. The sweepstakes casino will then ask you a few questions to help you and the site determine whether youâre ready to start playing again.
In addition to the tools offered by the sites, we have a responsible gambling resource on our site.