VGW's sweepstakes casinos, Chumba Casino and LuckyLand Slots, will begin to phase out Promotional Play with Sweeps Coins in West Virginia on Tuesday, a VGW spokesperson told Sweepsy.
The move continues a pattern of state exits for the Australia-based gaming company, which has now withdrawn from 12 U.S. jurisdictions.
Key Takeaways
- VGW will begin to conclude Sweeps Coin play in West Virginia on Nov. 11.
- Users will retain access for Standard Play using Gold Coins after Sweeps Play ends.
- VGW's exits align with broader regulatory tightening against dual-currency sweepstakes models.
Users in West Virginia have been notified of a three-stage phaseout, which will begin with the suspension of free Sweeps Coin collection and code generation. Sweeps Play will stop Nov. 18, and all redemptions will cease a week later, on Nov. 25. The company's third platform, Global Poker, is expected to follow the same exit timeline.
VGW said players can continue entertainment-only play using Gold Coins after the phaseout. The company's retreat from the Mountain State follows similar departures from Mississippi and New Jersey earlier this year, where regulatory uncertainty around sweepstakes prompted operators to halt services.
The 12 jurisdictions excluding VGW platforms now include Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Washington, and West Virginia. Most of these exits have occurred within the past year, underscoring a trend of heightened enforcement.
VGW withdraws from Canada amid broader restructuring
VGW is also winding down operations in Canada. Players of Chumba Casino and Global Poker had their access blocked Oct. 23 as the company began a phased market withdrawal. The move comes amid VGW's restructuring under the full ownership of Laurence Escalante, who recently completed his buyout of the company.
The withdrawal coincides with increased regulatory scrutiny across North America and VGW's decision to go private. Under the phaseout plan, Canadian users could no longer purchase Gold Coins after Aug. 28 and lost game access by Sept. 25.
Players also had to redeem remaining Sweeps Coins before Oct. 23. VGW described the move as a strategic commercial decision designed to realign business priorities and focus resources on sustainable markets.
California becomes latest, largest state to ban sweeps casinos
The regulatory trend continued westward as California enacted a full ban on sweepstakes casinos. Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 831 into law, effective Jan. 1, 2026, prohibiting sweepstakes-style gaming across the state. Supported by the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, the bill reinforces tribes' exclusive gaming rights.
California's decision is important because it hosts more than 39 million people, twice as many as New York, where a similar bill is waiting for Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature. The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance and other industry groups asked Newsom to veto the bill. They pointed to survey data showing that 85% of Californians would rather see regulation and taxation than prohibition.
California's ban is the strongest sign yet that U.S. lawmakers oppose dual-currency sweepstakes models.
