Whether you can play at a sweepstakes casino depends on two things: your state's law, and each casino's own list of excluded states. Since 2025 the first has changed faster than at any time since sweepstakes casinos appeared. This guide sets out where things stand on October 29, 2026, state by state, using the same data that powers the availability checker on SweepstakesCasinosList.com.
Why sweepstakes casinos are legal at all
US law generally treats gambling as three things together: paying to enter (consideration), a game of chance, and a prize. Sweepstakes casinos remove the first. Sweeps Coins are never sold; they are given away free, including as a bonus when you buy Gold Coins, and there is always a free way to get them, usually a mail-in request. That is the same principle that lets a fast-food chain run a game on its cups. States that disagree with applying it to online casino games have started passing laws that ban the model outright.
The states that have banned sweepstakes casinos
| State | Law | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Montana | SB 555 | October 1, 2025 |
| Connecticut | SB 1235 | October 1, 2025 |
| New Jersey | A5447 | August 15, 2025 |
| New York | S5935-A | December 5, 2025 |
| California | AB 831 | January 1, 2026 |
| Tennessee | SB 2136 | May 22, 2026 |
| Indiana | HB 1052 | July 1, 2026 |
| Maine | LD 2007 | July 2026 |
| Louisiana | HB 883 and HB 53 | August 1, 2026 |
| Oklahoma | SB 1589 | November 1, 2026 (scheduled) |
On top of these, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada and Washington are closed under existing gambling law: operators treat them as off-limits even without a new statute.
"Under watch": open, but not settled
A further group of states has no ban but has seen enforcement letters, lawsuits or bills that did not pass yet. Most casinos still accept players there, but some choose not to, which is why Lucky.Me, Roxy Moxy and Stake.us exclude states like Illinois, Pennsylvania and Maryland that have no ban. If you live in one of these states, expect the list to change and check before you buy coins.
Enforcement without a new law
Bans are not the only pressure. In 2026, state officials also went after operators directly. According to reporting compiled by RG.org and others:
- Florida: the attorney general sued Stake.us and VGW on August 19, 2026, naming several payment processors as defendants too.
- New York: the attorney general announced an $8 million settlement with VGW on September 9, 2026.
- Kentucky: the attorney general sued VGW on June 17, 2026.
- Illinois: the Gaming Board sent cease-and-desist letters to 65 platforms early in the year.
- Iowa: SF 2289, effective July 1, 2026, gives the Racing and Gaming Commission power to order unlicensed sweepstakes operators to stop. It is not a standalone ban, but many casinos now exclude Iowa.
Bills in Maryland, Virginia, Minnesota, Mississippi and Washington, D.C. are expected back in 2027. Enforcement through payment processors is widely seen as the tool most likely to change things quickly.
What happens when your state bans sweepstakes
Casinos usually stop new sign-ups on the effective date and lock play from the state. Players on the SweepsKings forum describe a short grace period at some sites to redeem existing balances; one operator gave Indiana players until the end of the month after the law took effect. After that, redemptions linked to a banned state are typically refused, even for previously verified accounts, because the casino and its payment processors check addresses at payout. Two practical lessons follow:
- If a ban is coming, redeem what you can before the effective date.
- Do not try to play from a banned state through a VPN or a friend's address. The forums are full of locked balances from players who did.
Some operators have launched products built on different models, such as card-pack prize games, that they say fall outside the new laws. Those are separate products with their own rules, covered in our Card Crush review.
All 50 states and D.C.
Each state links to its page on SweepstakesCasinosList, which lists the casinos still open there.
| State | Status | Law or note |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Open | No ban |
| Alaska | Open | No ban |
| Arizona | Open | No ban |
| Arkansas | Open | No ban |
| California | Banned by state law | AB 831, in force since January 1, 2026 |
| Colorado | Open | No ban |
| Connecticut | Banned by state law | SB 1235, in force since October 1, 2025 |
| Delaware | Open, under watch | No ban; enforcement activity or bills to follow |
| Florida | Open, under watch | No ban; the attorney general sued Stake.us and VGW in August 2026 |
| Georgia | Open | No ban |
| Hawaii | Open, under watch | No ban; enforcement activity or bills to follow |
| Idaho | Closed under existing law | Operators treat sweepstakes casinos as illegal gambling |
| Illinois | Open, under watch | No ban; the Gaming Board sent cease-and-desist letters to 65 platforms in 2026 |
| Indiana | Banned by state law | HB 1052, in force since July 1, 2026 |
| Iowa | Open, under watch | SF 2289 (July 1, 2026) lets regulators order unlicensed sweepstakes to stop; many casinos have left |
| Kansas | Open | No ban |
| Kentucky | Open, under watch | No ban; the attorney general sued VGW in June 2026 |
| Louisiana | Banned by state law | HB 883 and HB 53, in force since August 1, 2026 |
| Maine | Banned by state law | LD 2007, in force since July 2026 |
| Maryland | Open, under watch | No ban; HB 295 passed the House in 2026 but died in the Senate |
| Massachusetts | Open, under watch | No ban; enforcement activity or bills to follow |
| Michigan | Closed under existing law | Operators treat sweepstakes casinos as illegal gambling |
| Minnesota | Open, under watch | No ban; enforcement activity or bills to follow |
| Mississippi | Open, under watch | No ban; enforcement activity or bills to follow |
| Missouri | Open | No ban |
| Montana | Banned by state law | SB 555, in force since October 1, 2025 |
| Nebraska | Open | No ban |
| Nevada | Closed under existing law | Closed under existing law; SB 256 (October 1, 2025) added sweepstakes-specific rules |
| New Hampshire | Open | No ban |
| New Jersey | Banned by state law | A5447, in force since August 15, 2025 |
| New Mexico | Open | No ban |
| New York | Banned by state law | S5935-A, in force since December 5, 2025 |
| North Carolina | Open | No ban |
| North Dakota | Open | No ban |
| Ohio | Open, under watch | No ban; enforcement activity or bills to follow |
| Oklahoma | Ban passed, not yet in force | SB 1589, takes effect November 1, 2026 |
| Oregon | Open | No ban |
| Pennsylvania | Open, under watch | No ban; enforcement activity or bills to follow |
| Rhode Island | Open | No ban |
| South Carolina | Open | No ban |
| South Dakota | Open | No ban |
| Tennessee | Banned by state law | SB 2136, in force since May 22, 2026 |
| Texas | Open | No ban |
| Utah | Open | No ban |
| Vermont | Open | No ban |
| Virginia | Open, under watch | No ban; enforcement activity or bills to follow |
| Washington | Closed under existing law | Operators treat sweepstakes casinos as illegal gambling |
| West Virginia | Open, under watch | No ban; enforcement activity or bills to follow |
| Wisconsin | Open | No ban |
| Wyoming | Open, under watch | No ban; enforcement activity or bills to follow |
Washington, D.C. is currently open but under watch.
How we keep this current
We track bills as they move through state legislatures and update the shared data the day a law passes or takes effect. Casinos also update their own excluded-state lists without notice, so the final check is always the sign-up page of the casino you want to join.
Quick answers
Which states have banned sweepstakes casinos?
As of October 29, 2026: California, Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New York and Tennessee, with Oklahoma's ban taking effect on November 1, 2026. Idaho, Michigan, Nevada and Washington are closed under existing law.
Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Texas and Florida?
Neither state has banned them as of October 2026. Florida is under watch, and Florida players face lower per-request redemption caps at several casinos.
What happens to my Sweeps Coins if my state bans sweepstakes casinos?
Casinos usually lock play on the effective date and may offer a short window to redeem. After that, redemptions from the banned state are usually refused.