With less than two weeks before sweepstakes casinos as we’ve come to know them become illegal in California, one of the largest brands in the industry has finally informed its players of its present and future plans in the state.
WOW Vegas has emailed its California players details that it will no longer award any Sweeps Coins in the state after Dec. 24. That’s in response to any dual-currency sweepstakes gaming site becoming illegal on Jan. 1, 2026, thanks to the passage of California Assembly Bill 831.
“We are reaching out to let you know about an important upcoming change to our Terms and Conditions, affecting players in California only,” the email reads, in part. “We have been delighted to provide SC games to you and please remember, if you ever leave California, you will be able to enjoy our full experience once again.”
Notably, WOW Vegas makes no mention of Gold Coins in the email. In all likelihood, this means WOW Vegas is using the same California approach as fellow sweepstakes casinos owned by VGW, B-Two Operations, ARB Interactive, and other major operators in keeping Gold Coin gameplay live in the state beyond Jan. 1, 2026.
WOW Vegas phase-out timeline for Sweeps Coins in CA
Here is the exact timeline of WOW Vegas’ Sweeps Coin phaseout in California, per the company’s email:
- Effective December 24, 2025, 11:59 PM PT, customers in California will no longer be able to receive free SC through any method.
- Mail-in requests for free SC from customers in California, dated after December 24, 2025, 11:59 PM PT will no longer be accepted.
- Customers in California can continue to use any remaining SC in your account until December 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM PT.
- Any SC you have already won can still be redeemed for prizes by customers in California until December 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM PT.
So WOW Vegas is truly letting its California players redeem their Sweeps Coins for prizes until the very last minute of legality. And that was certainly the sentiment shared in a WOW Vegas communication obtained by Sweepsy in October, in which company officials made it known their intentions to keep Sweeps Coins active in California up until the very final moments of 2025.
What are the biggest operators doing?
We now know how most of the major brands in the sweeps casino ecosystem are handling California going off limits for Sweeps Coins in 2026.
WOW Vegas, VGW (Chumba Casino, Global Poker, LuckyLand Slots, LuckyLand Casino, United Slots), B-Two Operations (McLuck, Hello Millions, PlayFame, SpinBlitz, Jackpota, Mega Bonanza), ARB Interactive (Modo.us), and Legendz are all shutting down Sweeps Coin gameplay but keeping Gold Coin gameplay live.
The shutdown dates are varied among those operators. But, notably, California players on VGW sites will have until Jan. 15 to redeem their Sweeps Coins, even though the sites will stop giving players Sweeps Coins beginning Dec. 30.
On the other side of the spectrum, Stake.us and Yellow Social Interactive (Pulsz Casino, Pulsz Bingo) are two of the most well-known operators that are fully shutting down both gameplay models in California. (Although, interestingly, Stake.us players in California will still be able to access the platform after its shutdown date, Dec. 30, in order to submit redemption requests with their Sweeps Coins.)
Pulsz closed all its California accounts on Dec. 15.
Although it may seem counterintuitive to close off Gold Coin gameplay in California, where these companies can still generate legitimate revenue, doing so can be a rational move, depending on the circumstances. For Stake.us, the motivation may be straightforward: With a major lawsuit levied against it in California, a complete withdrawal may be the safest option to limit future risk.
For smaller operators, some may lack the technical flexibility to selectively disable Sweeps Coins, meaning they can’t easily adjust one component of the product without dismantling the whole thing. In those cases, exiting altogether may make the most sense, too.
The only big-brand operator whose California plans are still unknown is A1 Development LLC, which owns NoLimitCoins, Tao Fortune, FunzCity, Funrize, Fortune Wheelz, and Storm Rush. The terms and conditions on those sweeps casinos still make no mention of California in their list of excluded markets.
‘Sweepstakes cash’ and the ‘dual-currency system’
Specifically, the language of AB831 outlaws any online sweepstakes game that:
(A) directly or indirectly implements the predetermination of sweepstakes cash, cash-equivalent prizes, or other prizes of value; (B) otherwise connects a sweepstakes player or participant with sweepstakes cash, cash-equivalent prizes, or other prizes of value; or (C) utilizes a dual-currency system of payment that allows a person to play or participate in a simulated gambling program for direct or indirect consideration, including consideration associated with a related product, service, or activity, and for which the person playing the simulated gambling program may become eligible for a prize or award, cash or cash equivalents, or a chance to win a prize or award, or cash or cash equivalents; in a business establishment, on the internet, or using an online application.
Translation: Any type of game played with Sweeps Coins, which can be redeemed for cash, is not legal under California’s “dual-currency” model ban.
Gold Coins, however, a purely digital form of currency used by social casinos, including those run by Light & Wonder and the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, two chief backers of AB831, are completely legal. So that’s a part of why you see all these operators keeping Gold Coins live in California and, in a sense, becoming purely social casinos.
