As a bill to ban sweepstakes casinos in New York moves through the state legislature, several platforms have proactively left the state. Some of the best-known sites to have pulled out of New York include High 5 Casino, McLuck Casino, and NoLimit Coins. However, the bill hasn’t become law yet. In the meantime, some other sites like Chumba Casino and Funzpoints are holding tight and waiting to see what happens.
Sweepstakes casinos have emerged as a popular alternative to traditional online casinos, especially in states like New York, where real-money iGaming isn’t legal. These platforms let users play casino-style games for entertainment or participate in sweepstakes promotions, which offer the opportunity to redeem winnings for cash prizes.
Sweepstakes casinos operate under federal sweepstakes laws, making them legal in most states, except in those that have explicitly banned them. However, some lawmakers like New York’s Sen. Joseph Addabbo see the “sweeps” business model as a loophole and are trying to close it. Elsewhere, state gaming regulators have made the decision independently to issue cease-and-desist letters to operators to force them out.
Aside from New York, some states that have banned or are seeking to ban sweeps include Washington, Michigan, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland.
- US Players Accepted
- Daily Free GC and SC
- 2 FREE Sweeps Coins on Signup
- Redeem Cash Prizes
Which sweepstakes casinos are out of New York?
Until recently, Stake.us was the only notable operator absent from New York. However, between March 26 and March 28, many operators updated their Terms and Conditions, restricting access for New York players. That timing is no coincidence, as Sen. Addabbo’s ban advanced from a Senate committee just over a week earlier, on March 18.
Some, like High 5 Casino, are implementing their withdrawal in stages to allow New York users a chance to redeem their remaining Sweeps Coins. However, others have already implemented complete restrictions. Sweepstakes casinos that GamingToday has determined no longer accept New York players include:
- Carnival Citi
- Chanced and sister site Punt.com
- DingDingDing Casino
- Fortune Coins and sister sites Zula Casino and Sportzino
- High 5 Casino
- McLuck Casino and sister sites Hello Millions, Mega Bonanza, Jackpota, and SpinBlitz
- NoLimit Coins and sister sites Funrize Casino, FunzCity Casino, and Fortune Wheelz
- Play Fame
- Pulsz Casino and Pulsz Bingo
- Real Prize
- Spree
Which sweepstakes casinos still accept New York players?
Despite this ongoing exodus, some social gaming sites still operate in New York at the time of writing. The Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA), which represents the industry, is trying to bargain with lawmakers for a less harsh approach to sweeps.
Notably, VGW’s brands Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker still accept players from the state. VGW is not a member of the SPGA.
Additional options that are among our recommended sweeps casinos include WOW Vegas and Crown Coins. There are also some social sportsbooks like Fliff serving the state, but whatever happens to them, New Yorkers still have plenty legal real-money sportsbooks to choose from.
GamingToday has determined that as of March 31, the following sites are still accepting New York players:
- Chumba Casino
- Crow Coins Casino
- Fliff
- Funzpoints
- Luckybird.io
- Moonspin Casino
- Rolling Riches
- Sidepot Casino
- Smiles Casino
- Sweepslots
- Tao Fortune
- Vegas Gems
- WOW Vegas
Note that these operators may also exit New York, so players should check each site’s terms and conditions for the latest updates.
Sweeps casino bill moves to third Senate reading
On March 4, Sen. Joseph Addabbo fulfilled his promise to address unregulated sweepstakes casinos by introducing a bill to ban them. He stated that regulatory concerns and player protection were among the primary reasons for seeking to prohibit the use of platforms. The legislation passed through the Senate’s Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee on March 18 and has now advanced to a third reading on the Senate floor.
While plenty of sweepstakes and social casino platforms are still available in the state, if Addabbo’s bill becomes law, players will be left with no online casino gaming options except unregulated offshore platforms, including crypto casinos.
Although Sen. Addabbo has also been working to regulate real-money online casinos, they remain illegal in the state and his effort appears unlikely to succeed in the near future, at least until downstate retail casino licenses have been awarded.
