Florida Attorney General Targets Tech Platforms in Widening Sweepstakes Casino Enforcement

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has expanded enforcement against sweepstakes casinos beyond operators to the advertising platforms that connect them with users. Letters sent last week to Google, Meta, Reddit, Snap and TikTok direct the companies to halt promotion of sites including Stake, VGW’s Chumba Casino, LuckyLand and Global Poker. The recipients must confirm by Oct. 23 that ads have stopped and explain how they will block Florida users going forward.

This follows August lawsuits filed by Uthmeier against Stake and VGW in Hillsborough County Circuit Court. Those complaints also named payment processors and seek to end Florida operations while recovering alleged gambling proceeds, restitution and civil penalties. The cases allege violations of state gambling law and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Pressuring Those Who Facilitate Operations

The letters apply the same logic used against operators and processors. “Through these lawsuits, my office has made it clear that Florida will not tolerate illegal gambling, and we will pursue both those who operate and those who facilitate these criminal operations,” Uthmeier wrote. He argues the dual-currency model—where customers buy Gold Coins for social play and receive Sweeps Coins for redeemable casino games—disguises real-money gambling.

“If it looks like a casino, takes real money like a casino, and pays out like a casino, it is a casino—and it is illegal under Florida law,” Uthmeier said in a statement. “These companies have been preying on Floridians, including minors and seniors, with deceptive marketing, and 24/7 access, while dodging our state’s licensing, taxation, and consumer-protection requirements. They must be stopped.” The move could limit customer acquisition for the sites even before the lawsuits conclude.

Limits of Legislative Action

Florida lawmakers have not enacted a statute tailored to the sweepstakes model. House Bill 591, which would have banned all non-Seminole Tribe gambling, died in committee. Senate Bill 1580, a broader illegal gambling measure, passed both chambers in differing forms but died in returning messages on March 13 after the House approved an amended version 82-31 on March 11. As a result, Uthmeier must rely on existing law rather than new legislation written for the dual-currency structure.

The approach forms part of a national trend. States including California, Connecticut, Montana, New Jersey and New York passed targeted laws in 2025. In Louisiana, after Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed a legislative ban, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board and Attorney General Liz Murrill sent 40 cease-and-desist letters. Regulators in Arizona and Michigan have similarly used enforcement without waiting for new statutes. According to reporting by SBC Americas, Uthmeier now presses advertisers to cut off a key distribution channel while litigation proceeds.

Reporting: SBC Americas

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