As sweepstakes gaming operators prepare for the post-Sweeps Coin era in California and elsewhere, one well-known operator is set to launch a new rewards system that will diversify its gaming ecosystem for players — as many in states such as California and New York lose Sweeps Coin gameplay as an option.
Modo.us, operated by ARB Interactive, has told its players it will launch a new rewards system called Modo Stars on Jan. 1. That is also the day Sweeps Coin gaming at sweeps casinos becomes illegal in California.
Here’s what we know so far about this new rewards program from Modo.us.
‘Another path to earn rewards simply by enjoying Gold Coin play’
A December email to Modo.us players, with the subject line “Modo Stars Launching New Year’s Day!”, shares what can best be described as a teaser for the debut of Modo Stars:
WE’RE KICKING OFF THE NEW YEAR WITH SOMETHING BIG!
On January 1, 2026, we’re launching Modo Stars, a new way to get rewarded when you play.
What are Modo Stars?
Modo Stars are our new in-game rewards you earn just by playing with Gold Coins.
As your balance grows, you’ll be able to redeem Modo Stars for Gold Coin Packages, and even more fun rewards in the future!
Mark your calendar:
Launch date:
January 1, 2026
What to do:
Start earning and watch your Modo Stars add up
Sweepsy also obtained Modo.us communication that reassures players their rewards progress won’t be lost even when Sweeps Coins go offline in California in 2026. The communication also briefly touches on Modo Stars:
• Your current rewards are safe. Everything you’ve earned with your current Modo Rank will remain yours throughout 2026. Nothing you’ve unlocked is being removed.
• Your progress now still counts. The more you achieve before the end of the year, the stronger your starting point will be for the new rewards launching in 2026.
• Revamped Modo Ranks arrive January 1, 2026. A fresh system begins in the new year, giving everyone new chances to rank up and continue advancing.
• Introducing Modo Stars. Also launching January 1, this new feature creates another path to earn rewards simply by enjoying Gold Coin play.
Launching in all states
We are also hearing that Modo Stars will launch in all states — whether there is Sweeps Coin gameplay or not — reinforcing the fact that, sure, the timing suggests this may be in response to California, but this move was also likely made with the entire customer base in mind.
Currently, there are 16 states where players don’t have access to Sweeps Coins, or what Modo.us calls its “GC Only States” — Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, or West Virginia.
What these Modo Stars ‘rewards’ could be
To review, Modo Stars is a new feature or rewards system that “creates another path to earn rewards simply by enjoying Gold Coin play.” In fact, Modo.us specifically said “you’ll be able to redeem Modo Stars for Gold Coin Packages, and even more fun rewards in the future.”
So, what are these “fun rewards” going to be?
The language in bills like California Assembly Bill 831 and others banning dual-currency sweeps gaming make it feel unlikely that players will be able to redeem Modo Stars for cash. With AB831, for instance, gameplay that “directly or indirectly implements the predetermination of sweepstakes cash, cash-equivalent prizes, or other prizes of value [or] otherwise connects a sweepstakes player or participant with sweepstakes cash, cash-equivalent prizes, or other prizes of value” is outlawed.
More likely, Modo Stars is a rewards system more closely aligned with the likes of Light & Wonder’s social casino apps, like Jackpot Party Casino’s Carnival Cruise giveaways, or the playREWARDS system employed by the PLAYSTUDIOS social casinos like myVEGAS Slots and POP! Slots — where players earn Loyalty Points via gameplay and then redeem those Loyalty Points for rewards such as hotel stays, cruises, buffets, or show and concert tickets.
It’s the same model used by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, the chief tribal backer of AB831, with its own social casino, Play.Yamaava.
The goal of Modo Stars is likely to create an additive rewards program that brings a loyalty reward layer to the entire ecosystem. However, given the fact that Sweeps Coin gameplay is not off limits in many major United States markets, including California and New York, it’s logical to view Modo Stars from the perspective of a player who previously played with Sweeps Coins. And, from that lens, Modo Stars could at least come close to scratching the itch of Sweeps Coin gameplay and redemptions while abiding by the new state laws forbidding Sweeps Coin cash redemptions.
How are operators responding to market pressures?
This has been a foundation-altering year for sweepstakes casinos, in which five states passed laws banning dual-currency gameplay and several others planted off-limits flags with a series of cease-and-desist orders sent to sweeps operators.
Some operators, like Modo.us, are adding elements to their gaming ecosystem.
MyPrize.us became the first sweeps operator to publicly jump into the prediction markets space by partnering with Crypto.com to form MyPrize Markets.
“MyPrize Markets is a reinvention of the prediction market status quo, and prioritizes an elegant, frictionless, and user centric experience,” a press release announcing the partnership reads. “Today, prediction markets are for traders; but soon, MyPrize is bringing markets to everyone for the first time.”
No word yet, however, on when MyPrize Markets will launch.
VGW, meanwhile, is responding by expanding its gaming portfolio and centralizing its tech platform to service all five of its properties — Chumba Casino, Global Poker, LuckyLand Slots, LuckyLand Casino (launched this month), and United Slots (will launch in the first quarter of 2026) in a more effective and streamlined way.
Others, still, are tinkering with other types of library expansions. Sweepsy has heard industry chatter about operators eyeing models involving historical horse racing or even live racing results, while others are considering bingo and card game options.
Then there are operators working to leave their dual-currency gaming model behind entirely.
ClubWPT Gold made headlines first by scrapping its dual Gold Coin/Sweeps Coin system and shifting to a single currency, Chips, that players don’t buy directly, can use across games, and can redeem for cash.
Rather than offering a second currency, the site now sells Hand Analysis credits for training tools and includes free Chips with those purchases. ClubWPT Gold is positioning this as a shift to an educational poker platform, not a sweepstakes site — placing it outside the scope of proposed sweeps bans. Or, at least that’s the goal.
An approach across the pond in the United Kingdom is intriguing, as well. There, a platform called Sweepmate runs paid prediction contests where prize pools are shared by users who make accurate picks — not just for sports, but for things like reality TV outcomes or even elections. Think of it as DFS blended with prediction markets.
Could that model work in the U.S.? Classification would matter. If it’s positioned as a prediction market app, licensing requirements largely disappear.
