On July 31, 2025, the American Gaming Association published the results of a survey of self-described players of sweepstakes-based, casino-style online games. On Wednesday, American Gaming Association Vice President of Government Relations Tres York discussed that polling on “The New Normal” webcast.
York hit the highlights of the data that the American Gaming Association compiled regarding both player perspectives and advertising by the operators of the websites offering the games in question. York also described the Association’s motivation to perform the survey.
York points to conversations with decision-makers in motivation discussion
The Aug. 6, 2025, version of “The New Normal” webcast featured a discussion of multiple topics between York and the other participants. Those participants were host and National Indian Gaming Association Conference Chair Victor Rocha, along with Jason Giles, the Executive Director of the National Indian Gaming Association.
On the subject of sweepstakes casinos, the conversation focused on enforcement actions and legislative activity across the United States regarding sweepstakes. York explained that the American Gaming Association (AGA) report, “Sweepstakes Casino Player Profile & Advertising Trends,” was created to assist the AGA in supporting those actions.
“I think it just adds to the broader narrative,” York stated. “The research was conducted for two main reasons. We wanted to have evidence to push back on a lot of the nonsensical arguments that sweepstakes providers make. More importantly, we work a lot with some very important constituencies. When you go into a state, you could be walking into a room where a decision-maker knows everything about sweepstakes gambling, or you could go into a situation where the official has no idea how it works. This is key data for stakeholders to see who the players are, what the games are, how they work, why players are playing, how they perceive it, and how much advertising is ongoing. This research was really designed to provide data that rebutts the sweepstakes operators’ arguments and gives leaders an idea of who these companies are targeting.”
Rocha praised the report, stating that “your research really puts the nails in the coffin because it takes away the argument that this is just for entertainment.”
In terms of the potential effects of the report, York pointed to developments in numerous states on the topic of online sweepstakes gaming, like the Louisiana attorney general’s opinion on the matter. He also expressed skepticism about enforcement or legislative activity from the US federal government.
York expresses mixed feelings about the probability of heavier enforcement
York spoke highly of the action that state-level attorneys general and gambling regulatory bodies have taken on the subject of sweepstakes casinos, highlighting New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James’ dispersal of cease-and-desist letters to operators specifically. He also added that the data in the report suggests that such activity has produced a comparative drop in the number of people playing online sweepstakes casino games in those states.
York also suggested that the sum of the parts could be greater than the whole, as for sweepstakes operators, “a lot of these [pro-sweepstakes] arguments that are being made are starting to crumble under their own weak weight,” in York’s opinion.
At the same time, York did not express as much positivity when it comes to whether the US government itself will intervene.
“I think it’s possible,” York stated. “I’m not convinced that you are going to see any kind of real legislative change from the US Congress. Hopefully, you will see more enforcement actions in regard to where current laws stand. We talk a lot with the federal government, and we are going to keep doing that. Hopefully, we can continue providing them with information to continue investigations. I think you are more likely to see something from the DOJ [Department of Justice] than Congress.”
While enforcement is likely to continue on a state-by-state basis in York’s opinion, partnerships between commercial and tribal real-money gambling enterprises can continue to push a narrative that is unfriendly to the interests of the operators of sweepstakes casino sites on a national level. The AGA’s report is a continuation of those efforts.
