VGW, the sweepstakes gaming company behind Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Casino, and Global Poker, made headlines recently when campaign finance reports relieved it had donated $100,000 to United States Senator Tommy Tuberville and his Alabama gubernatorial campaign.
But Alabama isn’t the only state where VGW has made political donations this year.
Research into public records indicates VGW has also been active in Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee — three states where sweepstakes casinos are in the crosshairs of legislators and regulators alike.
$562,500 to Florida candidates, organizations
Since December 2025, VGW has donated $562,500 to candidates and political organizations in Florida for the 2026 election, according to data from TransparencyUSA.org.
Here’s how those donations have been allocated:
- Honest Leadership — $150,000
- Byron Donalds — $100,000
- Building On Your Dreams Political Committee — $50,000
- Conservatives for a Better Florida — $50,000
- Jennifer Canady — $50,000
- Panhandle Prosperity — $50,000
- Conservative Florida — $25,000
- Living Life With Purpose — $25,000
- The Right Path For Florida — $12,500
- Citizens for Solutions — $10,000
- Friends of Josie Tomkow — $10,000
- James Buchanan — $10,000
- John Franklin Snyder — $10,000
- Women Building the Future — $10,000
It’s likely no coincidence that many of these 14 candidates or organizations have documented financial ties to gambling, casino, pari-mutuel, or sports betting interests. This doesn’t necessarily establish why VGW made the donations or indicate that any recipient supports a particular gambling policy, but they do show significant overlap between VGW’s political giving and Florida’s broader gaming industry.
The most notable connection is Byron Donalds, who received $100,000 from VGW. The Seminole Tribe of Florida, one of the state’s largest gaming operators and the owner of Hard Rock International, also contributed $3 million to Donalds’ gubernatorial campaign committee during the current cycle.
Jennifer Canady, who received $50,000 from VGW, also received $50,000 from the Seminole Tribe in this cycle.
Panhandle Prosperity, another $50,000 VGW recipient, has an especially notable donor history. Its records show $50,000 contributions from the Seminole Tribe in both December 2025 and June 2026. The PAC subsequently contributed $1 million to the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Honest Leadership, which received $150,000 from VGW, also has a documented Seminole connection. TransparencyUSA.org records show $60,000 from the tribe during the 2024 cycle.
Several other VGW recipients have current or historical ties to gaming interests.
- Living Life With Purpose received $25,000 from the Seminole Tribe and $20,000 from PrizePicks, in addition to its $25,000 from VGW.
- The Right Path For Florida received $25,000 from the Seminole Tribe and $17,500 from Bestbet Holdings, a Florida pari-mutuel operator.
- Conservative Florida received $10,000 each from the Seminole Tribe and PrizePicks and has additional historical Seminole Gaming contributions.
Citizens for Solutions, James Buchanan, and Women Building the Future all received $10,000 from the Seminole Tribe.
Conservatives for a Better Florida has historical ties to the gaming industry, including $75,000 from the Seminole Tribe and $40,000 from Caesars Enterprise Services during the 2022 cycle.
Details on activity in Kentucky and Tennessee
According to Kentucky radio station WKYU-FM, the Commonwealth Conservation Coalition, a conservative PAC based in Kentucky, received $25,000 from VGW in this election cycle. Other notable gaming donations to this PAC include $100,000 from Churchill Downs.
VGW also contributed $15,000 to a PAC supporting Tennessee Republican gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn, according to the Tennessee Lookout.
The contribution is notable because Blackburn has been increasingly involved in federal policy discussions surrounding gambling, sports betting, and online gaming. In May 2026, while serving as chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology and Data Privacy, Blackburn led a hearing examining the rapid expansion of sports betting in the U.S., including concerns about gambling addiction, sports integrity, and the growing availability of betting through mobile devices.
Blackburn has also raised concerns about prediction markets offering sports event contracts, arguing that some products function similarly to traditional sports betting while operating outside state regulatory systems.
Legal status of sweeps casinos in all 3 states
VGW’s platforms are still fully operational in Florida and Kentucky, offering both Gold Coin gameplay and Sweeps Coin gameplay. In Tennessee, VGW does not offer Sweeps Coin gameplay but it does offer Gold Coin gameplay.
Sweepstakes casinos are not banned in Florida and Kentucky, although there is unprecedented legal action taking place against sweeps operators in both of those states.
In August, Florida Attorney General Jason Uthmeier filed lawsuits against VGW and Stake, and that came only a few months after Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed lawsuits against VGW, Kalshi, and Polymarket. Both states allege the sweeps operators are offering illegal online gambling.
These lawsuits have arguably changed the enforcement playbook, as states looking to restrict sweepstakes casinos have generally relied on legislative bans or cease-and-desist orders.
Legislative bans have usually been effective at pushing traditional dual-currency sweepstakes casinos out of a market, although newer gaming models can sidestep those laws.
Cease-and-desist orders are less predictable. Some operators comply immediately, others take longer, and some ignore them altogether.
But when an Attorney General skips the warning and goes straight to court, operators have a tougher decision to make: fight the case or leave the market rather than spend on litigation.
Meanwhile, dual-currency sweeps casinos are banned in Tennessee. Gov. Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 2136 into law on May 22, formally outlawing online sweepstakes games that award prizes through virtual currencies.
That’s why VGW has pulled Sweeps Coin gameplay in Tennessee. Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for real money, so they are the center of attention for lawmakers and regulators trying to kick sweeps operators out of markets.
