Maryland Goes After Sweeps Giant
The Sweepstakes casino industry is under fire yet again, as the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the parent company of Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker.
The MLGCA has been busy this year, sending cease-and-desist letters to Stake.us, McLuck, Zula, High 5 Games, and Fortune Coins. Now, the gaming body in charge of the state lottery has gone after Virtual Gaming Worlds, the pioneer of the Sweepstakes casino movement and the biggest name in the game.
A 15-Day Deadline to Respond or Quit
The letter, dated March 12th, effectively gave VGW 15 days to block its services from Maryland residents or present a compelling case as to why the sweepstakes model was legal within the state.
It said, “The only online gaming permitted in Maryland is mobile/online sports wagering and online fantasy competitions.” The letter went on to clarify that in either case, VGW would need to hold a license, and the MLGCA has no record of one on file.
Chumba Casino has more than 1 million active players every month and is arguably the best Sweepstakes casino in 2025. This is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the industry, as virtual currency that can be redeemed for cash skirts strict real-money gambling laws, which means Sweepstakes casinos are legal in most US states.
Some states have taken a stand against the model, though, arguing that it still constitutes illegal gambling. Several states have introduced new legislation to ban sweeps casinos completely, while others have used cease-and-desist letters to enforce existing laws.
Connecticut, Michigan, and Delaware sent cease-and-desist letters to VGW in recent months. The company has exited Connecticut and Michigan, but has yet to cease its operations in Delaware.
It remains to be seen how VGW will react to this latest cease-and-desist in Maryland, but it’s clear that a growing number of states are hostile to the Sweeps casino model. One of the runaway successes of recent times faces a very real existential crisis, and we’ll bring you the news as it happens.
