VGW Luckyland, an online sweepstakes casino operator, contributed $100,000 to Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s Alabama gubernatorial campaign last month.
Key Takeaways
- VGW Luckyland gave Sen. Tommy Tuberville $100,000 in August, bringing its total contributions to the campaign to $130,000.
- U.S. Sen. Doug Jones outraised Tuberville in August, collecting roughly $1.1 million against the Republican senator's $848,500.
- Tuberville still ended the month with about $9.5 million, nearly four times Sen. Jones's $2.5 million.
The Colorado-based company, a subsidiary of Australian gambling firm VGW Holdings, also owns the Chumba Casino and Global Poker brands. It's not the company's first gift to Tuberville's campaign this cycle, as earlier in the year, VGW contributed $30,000 to the same effort.
The company has been active in Alabama politics throughout the campaign season, making contributions to both Republican and Democratic candidates. In total, VGW has provided $351,000 to Alabama political races this campaign season.
The donation landed during a month when Tuberville was outraised by his Democratic rival, former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones. Jones brought in roughly $1.1 million in August, his strongest single month of the race so far.
Tuberville collected about $848,500. He also outspent Jones during the period, reporting $573,200 in expenditures against his rival’s $252,900.
Despite trailing in monthly receipts, Tuberville retains a commanding financial edge overall. His campaign closed August with roughly $9.5 million in cash on hand compared with about $2.5 million for Jones.
Alabama currently has no statute specifically banning sweepstakes casino platforms, and the state remains one of only five nationwide without a lottery. Legal gambling within Alabama's borders is largely confined to three tribal casinos run by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Dozens of civil lawsuits involving sweepstakes operators have been filed in Alabama in recent years.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account
Sweepstakes casinos draw growing legal pushback nationwide
Alabama's donation controversy unfolds against a backdrop of growing legal restrictions for the sweepstakes casino industry across the country.
Louisiana's ban took hold on Aug. 1 through a pair of measures, one of which folds illegal online gambling into the state's racketeering statute. That exposes operators to fines as high as $1 million and prison terms up to 50 years.
Maine's prohibition took effect on July 14, while Iowa granted its gaming regulator new authority to issue cease-and-desist orders and pursue injunctions against sweepstakes operators beginning on July 1. Indiana's statewide ban also took effect on July 1, giving its gaming commission the power to fine violators up to $100,000 per offense.
These moves add to a wave of restrictions that began building in 2025, with roughly a dozen states now barring the dual currency model in some form.
Industry groups representing licensed casino operators have pushed hard for the crackdowns, arguing that sweepstakes platforms offer gambling-style products without paying state gaming taxes or submitting to regulatory oversight.
Operators and supporters counter that the games qualify as legal promotional sweepstakes rather than gambling under federal law.
