3 More States Ban Sweeps Casinos
Connecticut, Nevada, and Louisiana have passed sweeping anti-sweeps bills, and now it’s just a matter of the governors adding their signatures to make it official. If they do — and they almost certainly will — these states will join Montana in banning sweepstakes casinos in 2025.
Nevada: No Room Left to Wiggle
Nevada’s Senate Bill 256 doesn’t name sweepstakes casinos directly, but lawmakers were clear about the target. It tightens penalties for illegal gambling across the board, and during debate, the best sweeps casinos were specifically called out.
Most operators already geofence Nevada, but this bill removes any doubt. If signed, it will further cement Nevada’s zero-tolerance approach to any grey-market casino activity, sweeps or otherwise. Nevada is the US casino capital, thanks to Las Vegas, and the Vegas strip is already feeling the heat from online casinos.
With so much revenue coming from the gaming industry, it’s no surprise that Nevada has passed legislation banning sweeps casinos and other grey areas in the online gambling world.
Connecticut: No License, No Game
In Connecticut, Senate Bill 1235 cruised through both chambers and is now in the hands of Governor Ned Lamont. This one pulls no punches — it makes it explicitly illegal for any unlicensed operator to offer “simulated online casino gaming.”
It’s a direct shot across the bow at dual-currency sweeps platforms, and Connecticut has taken action against unlicensed operators recently – including High 5 Games.
Louisiana: Sharp Teeth and Stiff Sentences
Of the three bills, Louisiana’s SB181 bites the hardest. This one doesn’t just criminalize sweeps casinos. It puts the Louisiana Gaming Control Board and State Police in charge of enforcement. Penalties include up to $100,000 per offense and five years in prison.
Anti-Sweeps Map Keeps Growing
That brings us to 12 states in 2025 that have either passed or proposed laws to crack down on sweeps casinos. Only a few have crossed the finish line, but the momentum is building:
- Already banned: Washington, Idaho, Michigan
- Pending signatures: Nevada, Connecticut, Louisiana
- Recently banned: Montana
- In play: New Jersey, New York, Ohio
- Failed this round: Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, Florida, Arkansas
That still leaves the bulk of the US market untouched, for now. Most state legislatures are wrapping up for the year, but 2025 has already been a massive turning point for the industry. The growth of sweeps casinos has finally triggered a coordinated response, and it’s not over yet.
Social Gaming Leadership Alliance: Damage Control Mode
The newly minted Social Gaming Leadership Alliance, a coalition formed by the biggest names in the space, has its hands full. They’ll need to lobby hard during the political offseason, clean up bad actors, and present a unified front before the next wave of bills hit the floor in 2026.
