🇺🇸 Sweepstake Laws by State

🇺🇸 Interactive map and bill tracker

🟡 Sweeps bill introduced

The casino gaming industry is rapidly expanding in the United States, with sweepstakes casinos emerging as the top alternative to traditional gambling platforms. The gaming sites operate in a gray area due to the no-purchase format with Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.

Since the start of the year, 12 states have introduced bills to ban sweepstakes casinos, with Ohio becoming the most recent on May 20. Montana is the only state of those 12 to pass such a bill, with its sweepstakes-banning bill singed into law on May 12.

In New York, a bill that aims to ban sweepstakes gaming in the state (S5935) passed through the necessary legislative channels and is now on the desk of Gov. Kathy Hochul for approval. If Hochul signs the bill, sweepstakes casinos would effectively be forced to exit the Empire State. Additionally, the Office of the Attorney General shut down 26 sweepstakes casinos on June 6. Around 90% of sweepstakes operators are already out of New York in light of these legal developments.

A bill to ban sweepstakes casinos in New Jersey, A5447, passed through all necessary channels in the state Legislature and is now awaiting a signature from Gov. Phil Murphy. If Murphy signs the bill, the ban on sweeps casinos will immediately go into effect in the Garden State. Some sweeps casinos have already exited the NJ market.

California legislators introduced a bill on June 20 that aims to ban all operations and promotion of sweepstakes casino platforms. The bill , which is backed by tribal gaming interests in California, advanced through the Governmental Organization Committee on July 8. It will now go to the state Senate and Assembly for further in-committee discussion.

Several states have also issued cease-and-desist orders, including Maryland, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and, Arizona. The industry is at a crossroads, with growing legal scrutiny and regulatory changes reshaping its future. While these platforms have gained popularity by offering an alternative to traditional online casino gaming, legislative efforts in several states show signs of potential restrictions or full bans.

The introduction of legislation in multiple states poses an increased risk to the industry. The lack of uniform federal laws leaves regulation on a state-by-state basis, making compliance difficult for operators.

Will more states introduce legislation against sweepstakes gaming? Will the bills pass into law or become a tool for creating new regulations to help the sweepstakes industry grow even further? For now, we are in a wait-and-see period.

🟠 Sweeps bill failed

While a dozen states introduced bills to ban sweepstakes casinos in 2025, bills have already failed in six of those states.

Bills in Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Texas all failed to meet legislative session deadlines. These failures preserve the legal status of sweeps casinos in those states for now, at least until the next legislative sessions in each of the three states.

The author of an Arkansas bill withdrew the bill from consideration, and sweeps casinos remain operating in Arkansas.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed a bill that sought to penalize sweeps casino operators. In spite of that veto, Louisiana gaming regulators continue an aggressive push to ban sweepstakes casino gaming in the state.

🔴 Legal ban in place

Montana became the first state to pass a sweepstakes-banning bill in 2025. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed SB 555 into law on May 12, and any sweeps casinos still operating in Montana must exit the state by October 1, 2025.

Connecticut joined as the second state to pass a sweepstakes-banning bill on June 11.

❌ Database of operators and restricted states

The table below gives you a quick overview of the sites available and the restricted states. For a complete view, see our list of sweepstake casinos here.

✅ States with sweepstake sites

The table below includes the current status in 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. This resource includes the approximate number of sweepstakes casinos operating and any restrictions on max wins in each state. Florida and New York have laws around max wins. As Matt Bain covers here, how the operator handles this differs depending on the site you are playing on.

Legend: ✅ (Available) ❌ Banned ❓(Status pending)

🆓 How it works: The free entry model

The sweepstakes sites use a dual-currency system that includes Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC). You’ll see these currencies called slightly different names at some sites, but the concept is identical across all sweepstakes casinos.

Gold Coins are play money currency, and you can only use GC in the play money games at a sweeps casino. Sweeps Coins are a virtual currency that you can use to play in the sweepstakes games at a casino. You can redeem the SC that you win in these games for cash prizes.

You can’t directly purchase SC at a sweeps casino. Under sweepstakes laws, players must be able to enter the sweepstakes offered at a site for free. Sweepstakes casinos fulfill this legal obligation by extending several different ways to obtain SC for free. The most popular method is writing letters to request free Sweeps Coins.

Learn more: How sweepstake casinos work

🏦 Tax implications on winnings

Federal gaming laws require players to pay income tax on sweepstakes wins of $5,000 or more. This could be a single win on a jackpot or bet that you redeem for $5,000 or more, or it could be your cumulative sweepstakes winnings for the year.

In addition to federal taxes, sweepstakes gaming wins could be subject to state taxes as well. State tax could be payable depending on which state you’re playing from and possibly which state you live (if the two are different).

When it comes to sweepstakes casino winnings, we highly recommend keeping track of your total wins and losses for the year. Consulting with a tax professional and disclosing all of that information is your best bet when it comes time to report winnings and fulfill tax obligations.