New York Shuts Down 26 Sweepstakes Casinos
Attorney General Letitia James and the New York State Gaming Commission have officially issued cease-and-desist orders to 26 sweepstakes casino platforms, declaring them illegal under current state law.
While legislation specifically targeting sweepstakes gambling is still moving through Albany, the Attorney General made it clear: New York doesn’t need new laws to shut these platforms down.
To send a message to players and promoters alike, the state has gone fully public — listing all 26 platforms now considered persona non grata in New York. It’s a loud message to other sweeps casinos to geofence its operations and restrict access to New York residents as well.
Flagged sites include: Chanced, Chumba, DingDingDing, Fliff, Fortune Coins, Fortune Wheelz, Funrize, FunzCity, Global Poker, Golden Hearts Games, High 5 Casino, Jackpota, Luckyland, McLuck, Mega Bonanza, NoLimitCoins, Play Fame, RealPrize, Sidepot, SpinBlitz, Sportzino, SweepSlots, Sweeptastic, TaoFortune, Yay Casino, and Zula Casino.
“Online sweepstakes casinos are illegal, dangerous and can seriously ruin people’s finances,” said Attorney General James. “I thank the Commission and Senator Addabbo for partnering with my office on this issue to protect New Yorkers.”
Commission Comes Out Swinging
Gaming Commission Chair Brian O’Dwyer didn’t mince words either. He called these sweepstakes platforms “unscrupulous, unsecure and unlawful,” adding:
“I have been very vocal about the need to crack down on these operations. I am thrilled the attorney general has taken this significant step to eradicate the illegal gambling market. We encourage those of age who wish to gamble to do so with legal operators.”
What Comes Next?
With Senate Bill S5935 and Assembly Bill A6745 already in motion to lock the ban into statute, it’s clear the state is done playing nice with gray-area gambling. The message is loud and clear, one way or another, sweepstakes casinos are out.
