Are sweepstakes casinos legal in New York? No. Chapter 605 of 2025, signed on 5 December 2025, bans online sweepstakes games built on a dual-currency system with cash-redeemable credits, and a Reed Smith reading says it covers credits given out with “no purchase necessary”.
This is a reference piece, not news; nothing below depends on a recent event. On 8 October 2026 this desk read the Attorney General’s 6 June 2025 release, Reed Smith’s 16 December 2025 client alert, the FastDemocracy mirror of the bill’s history and a Venable note of 22 May 2026. The statute itself was not read; its wording here is Reed Smith’s.
What does New York’s sweepstakes casino law say?
Per the legislative record, S5935A passed both houses in June 2025 and was signed as Chapter 605 on 5 December 2025.
Reed Smith says the law prohibits operating, conducting or promoting online sweepstakes games, or supporting their operation, and “takes effect immediately”. The Gaming Commission determines what counts as a dual-currency system; none of the sources read cites a determination. Penalties are not less than $10,000 and up to $100,000 per violation, with possible loss of gaming licences. Traditional commercial sweepstakes are not affected. Venable adds that New York’s ban reaches support entities, not only operators.
Why the free coins do not make it legal
Strip the branding and the free Sweeps Coin is a no-deposit bonus: a cash-redeemable credit that Venable says is often obtained through promotions, daily bonuses or a free alternative method of entry.
The Attorney General’s release says betting cash-redeemable coins on games of chance is gambling “regardless of how the casino operator characterizes how players can obtain the virtual coins.” Reed Smith says the gold-coin and sweeps-credit model, credits from purchase bundles or a free AMOE alike, “falls squarely within the prohibition”.
Compare Ontario, where casino bonuses are allowed with limits and a no-deposit bonus may exist but not be advertised. In New York’s sweepstakes model the free credit is the mechanism the ban names.
The 26 platforms the AG named on 6 June 2025
The release says these operators “are ending the sale of sweepstakes coins in New York”, listed here in its order. It is a dated list, silent on what any platform does today.
| 1 to 7 | 8 to 14 | 15 to 21 | 22 to 26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chanced | FunzCity | Mega Bonanza | SweepSlots |
| Chumba | Global Poker | NoLimitCoins | Sweeptastic |
| DingDingDing | Golden Hearts Games | Play Fame | TaoFortune |
| Fliff | High 5 Casino | RealPrize | Yay Casino |
| Fortune Coins | Jackpota | Sidepot | Zula Casino |
| Fortune Wheelz | Luckyland | SpinBlitz | |
| Funrize | McLuck | Sportzino |
Questions readers ask
Are sweepstakes casinos legal in New York?
No. S5935A was signed as Chapter 605 of 2025 on 5 December 2025, per the legislative record. Reed Smith reads it as banning online sweepstakes games that use a dual-currency system with cash-redeemable credits, effective immediately, including credits given with no purchase necessary. Penalties run from $10,000 to $100,000 per violation.
Is Chumba Casino legal in New York?
Chumba is one of the 26 platforms the Attorney General named on 6 June 2025 as ending the sale of sweepstakes coins in New York after cease-and-desist letters. Chapter 605 then banned the dual-currency model outright. This desk did not check what any named platform offers New Yorkers today.
What happened to sweepstakes casinos in New York?
On 6 June 2025 the Attorney General sent cease-and-desist letters to 26 platforms, which the release says were ending Sweeps Coin sales in the state. On 5 December 2025 the Governor signed S5935A, which Reed Smith says prohibits operating, promoting or supporting the games.
This is a reading of documents, not legal advice. 18+. If play has stopped being entertainment, New York’s HOPEline, listed in the Attorney General’s release, is 1-877-846-7369. The free part of any offer is priced in its terms; read the current ones.