Sweepstakes Bingo Explained: How Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins Work, and Where It's Banned

What is sweepstakes bingo?

Sweepstakes bingo is online bingo (and often slots and table games) run under sweepstakes law instead of a gambling license. These sites operate in states where real-money online gambling isn’t licensed. They argue they are running a promotional sweepstakes, like a soda-cap giveaway, rather than a casino.

It’s different from the two other common kinds of bingo apps:

For a side-by-side of all types, see our guide to online bingo apps. Skill-based apps are covered in skill-based bingo apps explained.

How do Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins work?

Sweepstakes sites run on two virtual currencies, which is why laws call it the “dual-currency” model.

1. Gold Coins (or similar). You buy these in packages. They are for entertainment only and can’t be cashed out.
2. Sweeps Coins (or Sweepstakes Cash, Stake Cash and so on). These come free: as a sign-up bonus, daily login bonus, through a free mail-in request, or “bundled” as a bonus when you buy Gold Coins.
3. Playing. You can play bingo or casino-style games with either currency. Winnings in Gold Coins stay play money. Winnings in Sweeps Coins accumulate.
4. Redeeming. After meeting a playthrough requirement and identity checks, Sweeps Coin balances can be redeemed for cash, gift cards or, on some sites, cryptocurrency, typically at one Sweeps Coin to one dollar.

Most players obtain Sweeps Coins by buying Gold Coin bundles. Florida’s Attorney General described the model this way in his August 2026 complaints: players buy Gold Coins bundled with Sweeps Coins or Stake Cash, which can be cashed out after minimal play-through.

Why do operators say it isn’t gambling?

Because of the “no purchase necessary” rule. In most states, illegal gambling has three elements:

• Prize: something of value can be won
• Chance: the outcome depends on luck
• Consideration: you pay to play

Sweepstakes sites concede prize and chance but argue there is no consideration, because anyone can get Sweeps Coins free through an “alternative method of entry,” such as a mailed request. Buying Gold Coins, they say, is a separate purchase of entertainment.

Why are states banning it?

Regulators say the free entry is a fig leaf and the product works like an online casino. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier summed up the regulators’ view in August 2026: if it looks like a casino, takes real money like a casino and pays out like a casino, it is a casino.

Common concerns cited by lawmakers and attorneys general:

• No state licensing, so no state-audited game fairness or player-fund protection
• Weak age and problem-gambling safeguards compared with licensed operators
• No gaming taxes paid to the state
• Competition with licensed casinos, lotteries, tribal gaming and charitable bingo

Which states have banned sweepstakes casinos and bingo?

As of October 9, 2026, we verified enacted bans in ten states, with nine in effect. Most of these laws target “dual-currency” online games that simulate casino games, and several expressly list bingo.

A few notes on the details:

• Dates differ by source. Reports give slightly different signing dates for Tennessee and the exact Maine effective date. We list what official legislature pages or major trade outlets reported.
• Louisiana’s first try failed. Governor Jeff Landry vetoed an earlier ban, SB 181, in June 2025, saying existing law was enough. He signed the 2026 bills.
• Oklahoma’s governor objected. Governor Kevin Stitt vetoed SB 1589 on May 7, 2026, calling it overly broad. Lawmakers overrode the veto, 34–10 in the Senate and 68–19 in the House.

What about states without a specific ban?

No ban law doesn’t mean “legal.” Several states act through existing gambling laws or enforcement:

• Nevada passed SB 256 in 2025, toughening penalties for unlicensed gambling operators, including those based out of state. It doesn’t name sweepstakes, but trade press widely read it as aimed at them.
• Iowa enacted SF 2289 in 2026, expanding the state’s gaming enforcement authority over unlicensed internet gaming and illegal sweepstakes activity, according to the law firm Venable.
• Florida’s Attorney General sued Stake and VGW (operator of Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker) on August 19, 2026, along with several payment processors, alleging illegal online gambling. Those cases are at an early stage; no court had ruled on the merits as of October 2026.
• Washington, Idaho and Michigan are commonly excluded by sweepstakes operators because of existing gambling laws or regulator action.

Other states, including Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio and Virginia, have seen ban bills filed. We’ll update this page as they move.

What enforcement has already happened?

Attorneys general are pursuing operators directly. Two examples:

• New York, September 2026. Attorney General Letitia James announced an $8 million settlement with VGW over Chumba Casino, Global Poker and LuckyLand Slots. VGW neither admitted nor denied the findings, agreed not to offer cash-redeemable coins to New Yorkers, and must honor valid redemption requests from eligible New York accounts. The office had earlier sent cease-and-desist letters to 26 platforms.
• Florida, August 2026. The lawsuits against Stake and VGW described above.

Is sweepstakes bingo safe to play?

It carries more risk than licensed or purely social games. Even where it’s not banned, sweepstakes sites aren’t licensed by a state gaming regulator, so you don’t get the protections of a licensed casino or a charity bingo hall. Practical risks:

• Your state could ban the model, and the site may stop operating there.
• Redemptions can be delayed or limited by playthrough rules and identity checks.
• Buying coin bundles is real spending, and it adds up.

If you just want to play bingo online, free social apps involve no money at all. If you want real prizes, a licensed charity game at a local hall is the most regulated option. See are bingo apps legit? for a checklist.

Play responsibly

If you spend money on any game with prizes, set a budget and time limit before you start. If it stops being fun, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER, any time, day or night. More help is on our responsible gaming page. Players must be at least 18 or 21 depending on the state and the site.