A well-known operator in the sweepstakes casino industry has made a significant update to its playable options.
Zula Casino, which launched in 2023 and quickly became a highly regarded sweeps gaming option, informed players this week that it will shut down its sweepstakes platform on Aug. 1 in Delaware, Connecticut, Montana, Nevada, and New Jersey.
“After careful consideration, Zula Casino has decided to withdraw its Sweepstakes services from [these states],” the message to players said.
“Starting August 1st, 2025, if you are an existing or new user from [these states], you will no longer be able to play any games using Sweeps Coins. Zula Casino will stop accepting mail-ins with a postage or delivery date of August 1st, 2025, for ‘no purchase necessary’ Sweeps Coins from the Restricted States.”
Zula Casino did say, however, that players “will still be able to enjoy our games with Gold Coins.”
Zula Casino more than doubles its list of impacted states
This week’s change creates a brand new category for Zula Casino — “Restricted States.”
Before, Zula Casino only had a short list of “Excluded States” where no options (Sweeps Coins or Gold Coins) were available:
- Idaho
- Michigan
- Washington
Now, all Zula Casino games are still offline in those three states, but only sweeps games are offline in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Montana, and Nevada.
New Jersey and Connecticut only just passed their bills banning online sweepstakes casinos in June, so it’s not a surprise to see those additions to Zula Casino’s restricted states come right now.
But Montana passed its bill back in May, and Delaware has been attempting to restrict sweeps gaming since 2024 — so many sweeps casinos added it to their list of restricted or excluded states long ago. Nevada, too, has long considered sweeps casinos unlicensed gambling operators, and it’s common to see operators restrict or limit that state, as well.
So Zula Casino is a bit late, at least relative to its peers at the top of the sweeps gaming marketplace, to restrict activity in those states.
Zula Casino has received cease-and-desist letters from two states: They got one from Maryland in March and one from New York in June.
What about Blazesoft’s other sites?
Zula Casino is owned by Canadian company Blazesoft Ltd., which also owns Yay Casino, Sportzino, and Fortune Coins.
Sweepsy has not seen any direct confirmation that those three sweepstakes casinos are following the same strategy. However, they all share the same terms and conditions, so it’s likely safe to assume those sites will also make Connecticut, Delaware, Nevada, Montana, and New Jersey restricted states come Aug. 1.
Allowing Gold Coin play, like VGW
By still allowing players to play social casino games using Gold Coins, Zula Casino is following the same model that sweeps behemoth VGW is using with its sites (Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker) in its restricted states.
Many sweepstakes casinos leaving states in response to the bans and cease-and-desist letters and intense scrutiny of 2025 are shutting down their entire platforms — both social games (Gold Coins) and sweepstakes games (Sweeps Coins).
By leaving Gold Coin games as an option in its restricted states, Zula Casino is maximizing its revenue while also practicing regulatory compliance.
The New Jersey sweeps ban bill, for instance, has language specifically banning sweeps sites that use casino-style games where players can win “a virtual facsimile thereof, that can be exchanged, sold, or redeemed, either directly or indirectly through means such as a third-party marketplace, external service, or cash-out function, for cash, a cash equivalent, or merchandise.”
Under that definition, Sweeps Coins are targeted. But Gold Coins aren’t.
Even though players can buy Gold Coins with real money, they can’t be redeemed for cash or anything of value. They’re purely for in-game use, with no real-world value.
And, theoretically, these Gold Coin social casino games can still generate significant revenue for sites offering them in states like New Jersey.
Estimates pegged the global social casino market at roughly $8.51 billion in 2024 with projected growth set to get it to $14.31 billion by 2030. It’s a market that Light & Wonder — one of the staunchest sweepstakes casino opponents — participates in with its handful of social casino apps, including Jackpot Party Casino and Quick Hit Slots.
So, even without sweeps gaming as an option, there is still money to be made with social casino gaming if an operator is willing to make the investment to maintain and market that platform.
