Sweepstakes casinos in NY: banned since Dec. 5, 2025, and what it means for players
New York's sweepstakes casino ban took effect the day Gov. Hochul signed it. Fines run up to $100,000 per violation, and for the first time the law names the affiliates who promote these sites.
Is there a legal sweepstakes casino in NY? No — the ban took effect on signing
Sweepstakes casinos are illegal in New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed bill S5935A on Dec. 5, 2025, as Chapter 605 of the Laws of 2025, and it took effect immediately.
The law ended a model that had run for years in a gray area. You bought Gold Coins for play, received “bonus” Sweeps Coins on the side, and cashed those out for real money. New York now treats that as illegal gambling, and the operators had largely left the state before the ink dried.
How dual-currency sweeps sites worked, and why New York calls it gambling
Sweepstakes casinos built their business on a legal argument. Because you could get Sweeps Coins without buying anything, through daily logins or mail-in requests, operators said no purchase was required and the games weren’t gambling.
New York officials rejected that. Under the state’s Penal Law, you gamble when you stake “something of value” on a contest of chance, expecting to receive something of value if you win. Players were spending real money on coin packages to play slot-style games for cash prizes.
State officials were blunt when the crackdown began. NY State Gaming Commission Chairman Brian O’Dwyer called the sites “unscrupulous, unsecure, and unlawful.” Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner warned the games “can so easily turn minors into problem gamblers.”
Industry groups pushed back. The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance said Gov. Hochul “chose a short-sighted path” by banning the model outright rather than regulating it.
What S5935A bans: dual-currency games, cash prizes and casino-style play
S5935A, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr., adds a new Section 912 to New York’s Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law. Its path to law:
- Passed the Senate 57–2 on June 11, 2025.
- Passed the Assembly on June 17, 2025.
- Delivered to the governor on Dec. 1, 2025, and signed four days later.
The law bans operating, conducting or promoting “online sweepstakes games.” These are dual-currency games that offer cash prizes, or the chance of cash prizes, and simulate casino gaming such as slots, table games or poker. SBC Americas reports the definition also reaches imitations of sports betting, lottery and bingo.
Fines up to $100,000, and affiliates and promoters are named
The penalties go well beyond the operators themselves:
- Fines: $10,000 to $100,000 per violation. The money goes to problem gambling programs.
- Licenses: violators can lose an existing New York gaming license, or become ineligible for one.
- Who’s covered: gaming licensees and applicants, their employees and investors, plus game suppliers, platform providers, payment processors, banks, geolocation firms and media affiliates.
- Who enforces: the NY State Gaming Commission, the State Police and the Attorney General.
That affiliate clause matters. Websites that promote sweepstakes casinos to New Yorkers, with codes, bonuses or sign-up links, now fall inside the law. That’s why this page lists none.
The Attorney General’s 2025 cease-and-desist list: 26 platforms
The ban was the second blow. On June 6, 2025, Attorney General Letitia James announced that 26 platforms had stopped selling sweepstakes coins in New York after receiving cease-and-desist letters from her office. “Online sweepstakes casinos are illegal, dangerous, and can seriously ruin people’s finances,” James said.
The platforms named in the AG’s announcement were Chanced, Chumba, DingDingDing, Fliff, Fortune Coins, Fortune Wheelz, Funrize, FunzCity, Global Poker, Golden Hearts Games, High 5 Casino, Jackpota, LuckyLand, McLuck, Mega Bonanza, NoLimitCoins, Play Fame, RealPrize, Sidepot, SpinBlitz, Sportzino, SweepSlots, Sweeptastic, TaoFortune, Yay Casino and Zula Casino.
That list is a record of enforcement, not a menu. None of these brands may legally offer sweepstakes play to New Yorkers.
Some operators moved before the letters arrived. Funzpoints added New York to the excluded states in its terms in April 2025. VGW, the company behind Chumba, LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker, announced in May 2025 that it would end Sweeps Coin play in the state.
What happened to players’ coins and balances
It depended on the operator. No law or AG statement set a single rule for balances.
- VGW (Chumba, LuckyLand, Global Poker): players could buy and use Sweeps Coins until June 2, 2025, and redeem them until Aug. 1, 2025, according to Yogonet’s report of the company’s notice. Gold Coin play stayed open. On Sept. 9, 2026, the Attorney General announced that VGW would pay New York $8 million to settle the state’s case.
- The 26 platforms on the AG’s list: the announcement said they were ending the sale of sweepstakes coins in New York. It didn’t address existing balances or redemptions.
If you still hold a balance, contact the operator’s support in writing and keep copies of every exchange. Don’t try to get around a block with a VPN. Faking your location breaks operator terms and can void a redemption. Since the ban took effect, no New York regulator can help you recover money from an unlicensed site.
Zula, Chumba, FunzPoints and NoLimitCoins promo codes: why NY has none
Thousands of New Yorkers still search for “Zula casino bonus codes”, “Chumba casino promo codes”, “Funzpoints promo code” and “NoLimitCoins promo code”. There is no legal Promo Code for any of them in New York.
Zula Casino, Chumba and NoLimitCoins appear on the AG’s list, and Funzpoints excludes New York in its own terms. A code that seems to work from a New York address leads you into an unlicensed product, with no state oversight of your money or data.
Legal options for New Yorkers after the sweepstakes ban
If you were playing for the entertainment, New York still has plenty that is fully licensed:
- Mobile sports betting: 8 licensed apps are live statewide. Compare them in our NY sportsbook rankings.
- Horse racing: licensed ADW apps take bets from age 18. See online horse betting in NY.
- Daily fantasy sports: 13 NYSGC-permitted operators. Read our NY DFS guide.
- Retail casinos: 5 commercial casinos, tribal casinos and 8 VLT facilities, including Resorts World NYC in Queens. Our online casino legal-status guide covers what’s open and what’s coming.
- Social casino apps: Gold Coin-only games with no cash prizes aren’t covered by the ban.
Where sweeps sites are still offered
Sweepstakes casinos remain available in states that haven’t banned them, but that list is shrinking fast. According to law firm Venable, New Jersey, Connecticut, Montana, California and New York all enacted measures against the model in 2025. Iowa, Indiana, Maine, Tennessee, Louisiana and Oklahoma passed bans of their own in 2026, and more states are weighing bills.
Each operator publishes its own list of excluded states, and those lists change often. Being physically in a state where a brand still operates is what counts, not where you live.
For a state-by-state view of New York’s own rules, see our guide to New York gambling laws.
Sweepstakes casino NY FAQ
Is Zula Casino legal in New York?
No. Zula Casino was one of the 26 platforms that stopped selling sweepstakes coins in New York after the AG’s 2025 cease-and-desist letters. The Dec. 5, 2025, ban makes offering it to New Yorkers illegal.
Can I still use Chumba Casino in NY?
Not for Sweeps Coins. VGW ended Sweeps Coin play in New York on June 2, 2025, with redemptions through Aug. 1, 2025. Gold Coin play, which has no cash prizes, stayed open.
Are FunzPoints and NoLimitCoins available in New York?
No. NoLimitCoins is on the AG’s 2025 list, and Funzpoints’ terms have excluded New York since April 2025.
When did New York ban sweepstakes casinos?
Gov. Hochul signed S5935A on Dec. 5, 2025, and it took effect immediately.
What are the penalties under the NY sweepstakes ban?
Fines run from $10,000 to $100,000 per violation, plus loss of or ineligibility for a NY gaming license. They apply to operators, suppliers, payment processors and media affiliates.
Are social casinos without cash prizes legal in NY?
Yes. The ban targets games that offer cash prizes or the chance of cash prizes. Coin-only social casino apps with no redemption aren’t covered.
21+ and physically in New York. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-877-8-HOPENY (467369).