For Sweeps Casinos, Reddit Post Helps Show Why They Want Regulation Over Bans

I came across an unsettling Reddit post the other day.

My eyebrows shot up to my hairline. You know, the kind of face where your forehead loses all of its shiny allure and instantly becomes a smushed-up accordion’s less attractive cousin.

In reality, I probably shouldn’t have been surprised. But I was. And I immediately thought about sweeps operators, and their pushes for regulation, and the unfortunate presence of bad apples out there, and lawmakers’ honest-hearted intent to do what’s best for their citizens, and if this whole mess of real-money vs. sweeps animosity is creating more harm than good.

The post was actually a response to a post titled “NY forthcoming ban starting tomorrow…” in r/ChumbaCasino in which the user lamented that Chumba Casino was ending sweeps operations in New York and wanted to know how other Chumba players in the state “(planned) to pivot” in response.

Then, a user by the name of GolfAndGamble replied with an endorsement of crypto casinos and offshore online casinos for anybody missing sweeps gaming in New York.

Gulp.

‘You aren’t forced to confirm your identity to play’

Here’s what the reply said, in part:

“If you’re still dead set on gambling online, you’ll be ‘stuck’ having to use crypto casinos. Personally, I almost exclusively play at crypto casinos since they have much better VIP programs and always max RTP.

“The problem with crypto casinos is you’ll have to use a VPN and are always at risk of being hit with KYC verification, where they basically just lock your account until you confirm your identity. Most sites won’t accept a US ID, so I would recommend looking into a Palau ID. It’s nice in the sense that you aren’t forced to confirm your identity to play, but you could find yourself in a sticky situation down the line.

“The best part about crypto casinos is that they will never ask for your SSN, since they don’t send tax documents. Think of it like you’re gambling at a land-based casino in Monaco… but online.”

The user then included links directing people to a trio of other Reddit posts with instructions on how to gamble online at crypto casinos.

GolfAndGamble is a top 1% commenter on Reddit, meaning they’re a highly impactful user. They are a moderator of several prominent sweepstakes casino subreddits, including r/ChumbaCasino, r/CrownCoins, r/WOWVegas, r/ModoUS, r/PulszOfficial, and r/socialcasinos.

SGLA: Bans drive ‘this activity to unregulated black markets’

Now, going back to my wrinkled forehead: Of all the responses to Chumba Casino ending sweeps operations in New York, this one from GolfAndGamble would be the most unnerving to responsible gambling and safe gameplay advocates — and it’s the one that sweeps advocates have warned might happen if state governments opt for sweeps bans over sweeps regulation.

“With sensible oversight of social online games that utilize sweepstakes promotions, states can both maintain robust consumer protections and also enjoy the benefits that come with a regulated industry,” former congressman Jeff Duncan, executive director of the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance, told Sweepsy. “A decision to ban the free-to-play online entertainment provided by respected brands and enjoyed by millions of American adults kills off innovation, competition and choice, and drives this activity to unregulated black markets that provide no consumer protections or other benefits.”

Of course, sweeps opponents will argue, and have argued, that online sweepstakes casinos pose the same responsible gambling risks as the types of crypto casinos and offshore gambling sites GolfAndGamble promoted in their Reddit post.

When contacted by Sweepsy for this story, a representative of the American Gaming Association declined comment.

In February, during his State of the Industry address, AGA President Bill Miller called out sweeps casinos without directly naming them — instead referring to them as “the newer categories of unregulated actors.”

“Then there’s the newer categories of unregulated actors that appear to bypass or circumvent state gaming, from currency exchanges to digital asset platforms,” Miller said. “These entrants deploy legal acrobatics to avoid calling themselves betting or gambling, only then to offer products that most would most universally would agree are gambling, yet without the safeguards and regulatory constraints that build consumer trust.”

So … what’s going on in New York?

A lot has happened recently in New York.

First, in late May, VGW — the Australian gaming behemoth behind Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker — ended its sweeps operations in New York in what a spokesperson told Sweepsy was a “decision (that) wasn’t taken lightly.”

Then, last Friday, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced her office had issued cease-and-desist letters to 26 online sweepstakes operators.

So, even though nothing will happen with the two sweeps ban bills considered this legislative session in New York, in the end, that’s essentially irrelevant. The Attorney General’s decision is plenty impactful for the future of sweeps gaming in the Big Apple.

Montana has also booted sweeps casinos in 2025; it’s the only state whose sweeps ban bill has officially passed into law. (Connecticut’s bill is expected to be signed into law, but meanwhile the bill in Louisiana is reportedly expected to be vetoed by Gov. Jeff Landry.)

Does intention differ from reality?

Lawmakers in these states, and James in New York, all no doubt have the same noble intention: Rid their states of sites they deem illegal, exploitive online gambling, and help residents not fall victim to those sites.

Easy to get onboard with that, right?

However, this is where sweeps operators’ arguments — potentially proven by GolfAndGamble’s post — come into play:

If you get rid of sweeps, players will find somewhere else — and likely somewhere less safe — to play instead. Especially in states with no regulated iGaming.

This, then, is a legitimate question: Where would lawmakers rather their constituents spend their money — sweeps gaming sites, or offshore betting sites like Bovada?

Sweeps operators, of course, argue they are the safer option as members of groups like the SGLA and Social and Promotional Games Association claim to follow certain safety measures that offshore sites do not.

“(Our members) adhere to a strict Code of Conduct and utilize top-tier regulatory compliance measures, including advanced age verification, KYC, location verification, and AML technologies,” an SPGA spokesperson told Sweepsy in May.

Meanwhile, others in the gambling industry, like Miller of the AGA, would lump sweeps casinos and offshore casinos into the same group.

However, it should be noted:

One of those two groups is asking — pleading — to be regulated in the United States.

The other is not.

About The Author

Matthew Bain

Matthew Bain has covered the legal gambling landscape in the US since 2022, both as a content director at Catena Media and now as a freelancer for Comped and Sweepsy. Before that, he spent six years as a sports reporter and editor for the USA TODAY Network, primarily at the Des Moines Register. Through his various roles, Matthew has racked up experience in the casino, sports betting, and lottery markets.

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