Minnesota AG Goes After Sweepstakes, Latest Regulator to Crack Down

Earlier this week, Minnesota AG Keith Ellison said that 14 websites that run sweepstakes social casinos have been ordered to stop all activity conducted on the territory of the state.

No Doubt about Sweeps Legality in Minnesota, Says AG

According to AG Ellison, sweepstakes social casinos are illegal in Minnesota, and companies that offer such products, as well as their owners, may face stiff penalties. In a statement, the attorney general said that there was no doubt about the actual status of sweepstakes casinos:

“Online platforms offering sportsbooks and casino games run by out-of-state and overseas operators may make it look as though online gambling is legal and safe in Minnesota, but let me be clear: it is not. Trying to rebrand poker chips as virtual currencies does not change the fact that these online gambling operations are unlawful.”

Any website that continues to operate despite the prohibition is defying state laws. The AG’s office also provided a complete list of all perceived offenders, names VG LuckyLand, Zula Casino, Fortune Coins, BetAnySports, BetUS, XBet, BetNow, BetWhale, EveryGame, BetOnline, Slotsandcasino, Bovada, MyBookie, and Sportsbetting.

Minnesota’s the latest state to reiterate its opposition to the sweepstakes model, which has been lambasted as a shortcut to traditional gambling. The majority of players who engage with sweepstakes social casinos do so to win real money, a survey by the American Gaming Association has shown.

As anti-sweepstakes rhetoric has been heating up, sector trade groups have urged a more pragmatic approach. The sweepstakes industry, argues the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance, is a legitimate part of the economy, creating jobs, tax revenue, and nurturing innovation.  

Sweeps Under Attack in Multiple States

Going out of one’s way to ban it is counterproductive. Yet, these warnings have fallen on deaf ears, particularly in California, where sweeps are considered illegal, effective in 2026. Google has also changed its policy, arguing that sweepstakes casinos may no longer advertise as “social.”

Not least, Utah brought a series of class-action complaints against sweepstakes operators, with 14 cases in the last week alone.