Know your state's status before registering. Laws change — always check each casino's current T&Cs.
Written by Dana Whitfield, Compliance & Payments Editor · Fact-checked by Ethan Caldwell · Last verified: September 2026Detailed breakdowns of the nine most-asked-about restricted states. The full 13-state list — including the newer statutory bans in Louisiana, Maine, Tennessee, and New Jersey — is in the ban table above.
Michigan's Lawful Internet Gaming Act (LIGA, 2019) created a licensed online gaming framework that sweepstakes operators fall outside of. The Michigan Gaming Control Board has taken the position that sweepstakes casinos offering SC redemption constitute unauthorized gambling. Multiple major operators voluntarily withdrew from MI to avoid enforcement risk.
Washington State defines gambling broadly under RCW 9.46 to include any activity where "something of value is wagered on an outcome." The Washington State Gambling Commission has historically treated sweepstakes casinos with skepticism, and several operators have received formal cease-and-desist orders. WA remains one of the most restrictive states for any gambling-adjacent entertainment.
Nevada's Nevada Gaming Control Board requires licensing for any entity offering "gambling" to Nevada residents — and their broad definition captures sweepstakes casinos. The irony is notable: Nevada's strict gambling regulations that protect its casino industry effectively prevent sweepstakes casinos from operating there. Licensing costs and requirements make it economically unviable for sweepstakes operators to pursue NV licenses.
New York has some of the strictest anti-gambling laws in the US. The NY Attorney General's office has targeted social casino operators, and most sweepstakes casinos preemptively restrict NY players to avoid enforcement risk. NY is also actively pursuing a licensed online casino market, which may eventually create a legal pathway for sweepstakes operators.
Montana operates a highly regulated gambling environment with state lottery and tribal gaming as the primary legal formats. The Montana Gambling Control Division's broad enforcement authority and the legislature's historical hostility to gambling expansion has led all major sweepstakes operators to restrict MT players.
Idaho's constitution explicitly prohibits most forms of gambling, with Idaho Code § 18-3801 defining "gambling" broadly. Idaho courts and law enforcement have historically taken expansive views of what constitutes illegal gambling. Sweepstakes casinos restrict ID players as a precautionary measure given the legal environment.
AB 831, signed October 11, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, bans dual-currency sweepstakes casinos in California and extends liability to payment processors and suppliers. Every major operator ended California Sweeps Coins play before the deadline (VGW on Dec 30, Pulsz on Dec 15, McLuck on Dec 29, 2025). Gold Coin-only social play remains legal from some brands. See our California guide for the full AB 831 breakdown.
Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection treats dual-currency sweepstakes as unlicensed online gaming, and enforcement pressure has made CT a standard entry on operator exclusion lists. As of July 2026, every brand we review — including Crown Coins — blocks Connecticut players.
HB 1052, effective July 1, 2026, prohibits dual-currency sweepstakes casinos in Indiana with penalties up to $100,000 per violation. Operators including McLuck, Hello Millions, WOW Vegas, and Stake.us exited the state ahead of the deadline. This replaced the older gray-area caution with an outright statutory ban.
| State | Crown Coins | McLuck | Stake.us | MegaBonanza | LoneStar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (FL) | |||||
| Texas (TX) | |||||
| California (CA) | |||||
| Connecticut (CT) | |||||
| Indiana (IN) | |||||
| Michigan (MI) | |||||
| Washington (WA) | |||||
| Nevada (NV) | |||||
| New York (NY) |
= Available · = Restricted · = Transitional / Check T&Cs
Seven states have passed statutory bans on dual-currency sweepstakes casinos since August 2025. Here is every law, when it took (or takes) effect, and what it actually changed for players.
| State | Law | Effective | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | A5447 / P.L.2025, c.128 (signed Aug 15, 2025) | Aug 15, 2025 | Statutory pay-to-play sweepstakes ban, effective immediately on signing. Enforced by the Division of Consumer Affairs and DGE — up to $100,000 for a first violation, $250,000 for each subsequent one, and every operating day counts as a fresh offense. Full breakdown in our New Jersey A5447 guide. |
| New York | S5935A (signed Dec 5, 2025) | Dec 2025 | Dual-currency ban. Most operators had already left after the Attorney General sent cease-and-desist letters to 26 platforms in June 2025. |
| California | AB 831 (signed Oct 11, 2025) | Jan 1, 2026 | Bans dual-currency sweepstakes casinos (cash-redeemable Sweeps Coins); Gold Coin-only social play stays legal. Full breakdown in our California AB 831 guide. |
| Tennessee | HB 1885 / SB 2136 (signed May 22, 2026) | May 22, 2026 | Bans casino-style dual-currency sweepstakes games effective immediately on signing — no wind-down period for operators. |
| Indiana | HB 1052 (signed Mar 13, 2026) | Jul 1, 2026 | Dual-currency sweepstakes ban with civil penalties up to $100,000 per violation. Peer-to-peer skill-based poker is explicitly exempt. Full breakdown in our Indiana HB 1052 guide. |
| Maine | LD 2007 (signed Apr 6, 2026) | Jul 15, 2026 | Makes it illegal to operate or promote dual-currency online sweepstakes games; fines of $10,000–$100,000 per violation fund addiction treatment. |
| Louisiana | HB 883 + HB 53 (signed 2026) | Aug 1, 2026 | Extends the computer-wagering statute to dual-currency games and makes electronic-sweepstakes gambling a racketeering predicate (up to 50 years for operators). Major operators had already exited. Full breakdown in our Louisiana HB 883 guide. |
| Oklahoma | SB 1589 (veto overridden May 2026) | Nov 1, 2026 | Dual-currency sweepstakes ban enacted after the Legislature overrode Governor Stitt's veto (House 68–19, Senate 34–10). Not yet in effect — Oklahoma players can still register until November 1, 2026, when the ban pulls token-based dual-currency games into the state's criminal gambling code. |
Six more states — Washington, Michigan, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, and Connecticut — have no 2025–26 sweepstakes statute but are excluded by effectively every operator. Washington criminalizes most online gambling outright, Michigan's regulator has issued cease-and-desist letters since 2021, and the others combine hostile gambling definitions with active regulators. The practical result is the same: 13 states where sweepstakes casinos are not available.
Nine states have no ban, but individual operators exclude them in their own terms — usually over older state-law gray areas. Which of our reviewed brands block each state (per each brand's official T&Cs, checked September 2026):
Blocked by Mega Bonanza and Pulsz; the rest of our reviewed brands accept AL players.
Blocked by most brands we review — Hello Millions, McLuck, Mega Bonanza, PlayFame, RealPrize, SpinBlitz, and Stake.us. Crown Coins and WOW Vegas still accept DE.
Blocked by Hello Millions, McLuck, Mega Bonanza, PlayFame, SpinBlitz, and Stake.us.
The tightest of the nine — 9 of our 11 reviewed brands block MD. Only Crown Coins and LoneStar Casino still accept Maryland players.
Only Pulsz blocks MS among our reviewed brands.
Blocked by Pulsz and RealPrize. Note: a statutory ban (SB 1589) takes effect November 1, 2026 — see the ban tracker above.
Blocked by Hello Millions, McLuck, Mega Bonanza, PlayFame, Pulsz, SpinBlitz, and Stake.us.
Iowa keeps showing up on "banned states" lists — and that is not quite right. SF 2289 (signed May 15, 2026, effective July 1, 2026) gives the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission authority to issue cease-and-desist orders and seek injunctions against unlicensed operators. It is enforcement authority, not a flat ban: unlike Indiana or Maine, it never defines or prohibits dual-currency sweepstakes as such.
The market read it that way too — most major operators stayed. As of September 2026, none of the 11 ranked brands we review excludes Iowa in its terms. That could change with the first IRGC enforcement action, so treat Iowa as "available, watch this space" rather than settled.
Compare all options available in your state — ranked by bonus, payouts, and trust.
See All Rankings →Full guides for nine key player markets — including bill-by-bill breakdowns of the California (AB 831), New Jersey (A5447), Indiana (HB 1052), and Louisiana (HB 883) bans: what each law covers, which operators left and when, and what play is still legal.