The biggest name in online sweepstakes gaming is leaving Canada.
Chumba Casino sent an email to its Canadian players this week announcing the exit, which will take place on Oct. 23. And in a statement to Sweepsy, VGW confirmed Global Poker will also be leaving Canada on the same timeline. VGW’s third site, LuckyLand Slots, does not currently operate in Canada.
“We can confirm that following careful consideration, we’ve informed players of a decision to phase out our brands that offer products in Canada [Chumba Casino and Global Poker],” a VGW spokesperson told Sweepsy.
“ … Ultimately, this is a difficult but strategic, isolated decision. Our Canadian business is relatively small, as the vast majority of our players reside in the larger US market, where we will concentrate our management focus, resources and investment going forward.”
Timeline of VGW’s Canadian exit
Chumba’s email informs players they “will no longer be able to access Chumba Casino” starting on Oct. 23.
“We understand this is an adjustment after many years and our valued Canadian players may be disappointed,” the email says. “This decision wasn’t taken lightly and our focus is on ensuring players are fully informed about the changes, and that this transition is as smooth as possible.
“After careful consideration, we’ve made a strategic commercial decision guided by our business priorities. This allows us to focus our resources and investment in a way that supports the ongoing success of the business.
“Your ongoing support and loyalty to our community is greatly appreciated, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for being an integral part of our journey.”
Although Chumba Casino and Global Poker eventually leave Canada on Oct. 23, a slow phase-out process begins two months earlier.
Here’s the exact timeline:
- Starting Aug. 28, players will no longer be able to buy Gold Coins. They can still use any Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins already in their account to play.
- Starting Sept. 25, gameplay will no longer be available. At that point, players will only be able to redeem any remaining Sweeps Coins for prizes.
- Starting Oct. 23, redemption requests will close, and access to Chumba Casino and Global Poker will end completely.
The email also lays out what exactly will happen with player data in Canada.
“From October 23, your account will be inaccessible and the personal data associated with your account will be retained to the extent required to meet our legal obligations,” the email says. “We take privacy and data protection seriously, and we will handle your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.”
Why leave Canada?
There is no legislative and regulatory crackdown on sweeps gaming right now in Canada, so we’ll likely need to take VGW at its word here.
As the VGW spokesperson said: “Our Canadian business is relatively small.”
This move signals a shift from VGW to fully prioritize the United States, especially as it’s increasingly looking like VGW and sweeps advocates may face a continuous and potentially costly fight to maintain as large of a U.S. presence as it currently has. Pulling out of Canada means VGW sites are now only active in the U.S. — meaning it can literally devote all of its resources to this country.
A recent study conducted by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming at the request of the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (which VGW is a part of) found that 98% of worldwide online sweepstakes gaming revenue is generated in the U.S. So logic dictates whatever resources VGW was dedicating to Canada weren’t producing returns strong enough to justify the continued investment — again, especially as VGW and other sweeps operators face headwinds to maintain their presence in the U.S.
Legal status of sweeps casinos in Canada
Like they are in the United States, sweepstakes casinos are generally legal in Canada by utilizing the dual-currency sweepstakes model. Canadian law also requires a skill-testing question (usually a math question) before a player can redeem prizes, and most sweepstakes casinos follow this.
However, sweeps casinos are not permitted in the province of Québec, which has its own strict gaming and promotional contest laws. Some sweeps casinos — such as Fortune Coins, for example — are also inactive in Ontario, due to the presence of its regulated iGaming market run by iGaming Ontario.
Other sweeps operators have already done full Canadian exits. High 5 Casino, for instance, already lists all of Canada as part of its excluded territories, as of February 2025.
Other VGW exits in 2025
As the industry leader, many other sweeps operators look to what VGW does to help inform their own decisions.
So all eyes have been on VGW as the sweeps industry has navigated a hectic 2025, where various state legislatures and Attorneys General have put sweepstakes casinos in their crosshairs.
Most recently, VGW announced it would be phasing out its Sweeps Coins games from New Jersey (following that state passing a sweeps casino ban) and Mississippi (following Chumba Casino being sent a cease-and-desist). Before that, VGW also pulled its sweeps platform from New York (where a ban passed in June), and Louisiana (where it also was sent a cease-and-desist).
It’s important to note that, in all these departures, VGW has kept Gold Coin games open to residents of these states. The bills and cease-and-desists in these states don’t apply to social casino games where the digital currency can’t be redeemed for cash, so the Gold Coin games are still permitted. They follow the same model as the social casino games offered by notable iGaming operators like Light & Wonder.
VGW will be in the vast minority of the sweeps industry by removing its games from Canada.
We’ll see if others follow suit.
