Chavdar Vasilev is a journalist covering the casino and sports betting market sectors for CasinoBeats. He joined CasinoBeats in May 2025 and reports on industry-shaping stories across the US and beyond, including legislative debates, market...
Read Full BioCalifornia’s sweepstakes casino market continues to contract ahead of the statutory ban on dual-currency sweepstakes casinos, which takes effect January 1.
The law targets platforms that use a two-currency model — typically combining free “gold coins” with a secondary sweepstakes currency that can be redeemed for prizes — a structure that operators have long used to operate outside traditional gambling frameworks.
In the weeks leading up to the effective date, an increasing number of operators have begun exiting the state. Some platforms have already restricted access, while others have announced cutoff dates. Many have yet to communicate a definitive cutoff timeline.
Additionally, some of the most recognizable names have indicated that they will continue to offer free-to-play, non-redeemable Gold Coin modes after the January 1 deadline.
Sweepstakes Casinos That Have Already Exited or Restricted California
In September, weeks before Gov. Newsom signed the prohibition bill, Carnival Citi became the first platform to exit California.
Since then, CasinoBeats has confirmed that, according to their terms and conditions, over 20 sweepstakes casinos have ceased operations in the state, with Pulsz and Pulsz Bingo being the latest on December 15.
- Betty Sweeps
- Carnival Citi
- Cosmo Slots
- Dara Casino
- Grand Vault
- High 5
- Lavish Luck
- Lucky Slots US
- Lucky Stake
- LuckyBits Vegas
- Modo*
- Moonspin
- Peak Play
- Pulsz
- Pulsz Bingo
- Rolling Riches
- Ruby Sweeps
- Sidepot
- Stackr Casino
- Sweep Next
- SweepsUSA
- The Boss
- ToraTora Casino
- Vegas Gems
- Zunado
*Some of these platforms, such as Modo, continue to allow California users to play for entertainment only using Gold Coins.
Operators With Announced California Exit Dates
Several high-profile platforms have communicated the timelines for when California access will end or materially change:
- Stake.us: The platform announced it will entirely shut down on December 30. Gold Coin play will not be available.
- B-Two Operations Limited platforms – McLuck, Hello Millions, Jackpota, Mega Bonanza, PlayFame, SpinBlitz: The last day to play using Sweeps Coins is December 29, with December 31 listed as the final day to redeem eligible sweepstakes prizes. The platforms will continue to offer Gold Coin play in California after January 1.
- Blazesoft platforms – Fortune Coins, Zula Casino, Sportzino, Yay Casino, American Luck, Luck Party: will stop Sweeps Play on December 22. There is no indication of whether the platforms will shut down entirely or continue to offer Gold Coin play.
- Legendz: Last day for California players to play with Sweeps Coins is December 25. Players can continue playing with Gold Coins after that date.
Unknowns Heading Into December 31
A large number of platforms, including some of the most recognizable casinos, have yet to communicate their plans.
Those include VGW’s platforms Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, Global Poker, and the new LuckyLand Casino. Others include the WOW Vegas and A1 Development platforms, such as Funrize and NoLimit Coins.
Likely, they all will operate until December 31. It remains unclear whether users can still access the platforms using Gold Coins. In VGW’s case, the company has previously maintained Gold Coin access following sweepstakes exits in states such as West Virginia, Mississippi, and New Jersey, suggesting a similar approach may apply in California.
