Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued Stake.us and VGW — the company behind Chumba Casino, Global Poker and LuckyLand — together with payment processors that handle their money, in two lawsuits filed on 19 August 2026 in Hillsborough County Circuit Court.[1] The state argues that sweepstakes casinos are illegal gambling under Florida's existing law, even though Florida has never passed a sweepstakes ban.
The lawsuits at a glance
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Filed | 19 August 2026 |
| Court | Circuit Court, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County (state court) |
| Brought by | Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier |
| Defendants | Stake.us operator Sweepsteaks Ltd and related Stake companies; VGW group companies (Chumba Casino, Global Poker, LuckyLand); payment processors including Worldpay, Trustly, Praxis and Breeze Labs |
| Claims | Illegal gambling and recovery of money lost under Florida's gambling statutes (chapter 849), and violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act[3] |
| Relief sought | Permanent injunctions, disgorgement of profits, civil penalties and attorneys' fees |
What Florida alleges
- The two-coin model is a disguise. Players buy Gold Coins bundled with Sweeps Coins (or Stake Cash) that can be redeemed for cash, crypto or gift cards after minimal playthrough — so, the state says, Sweeps Coins work as a proxy for real money.[2]
- Deceptive marketing. The complaints point to claims that play is "free", "safe" or "legal", and to influencer promotion and publicised big wins.
- Payment companies enable it. Naming processors aims to cut off the money flow, not just the operators.
Uthmeier summed up the state's view in a line that's likely to be quoted again: if a platform looks like a casino, takes money like a casino and pays out like a casino, it is a casino.[1]
Why it matters
Florida is one of the largest sweepstakes markets in the US, and lawmakers there had not passed a ban — bills filed in the 2026 session died when it ended in March. Going to court under existing law is a different route to the same goal, and it follows Kentucky, whose attorney general sued VGW in June 2026. If Florida wins, other states without a specific ban could follow the same playbook. Targeting processors could make it harder for sites to take payments from Florida players even before any ruling.
Where things stand
When the suits were filed, Stake.us and VGW's sites were still accepting Florida players, and no court order required them to stop.[2] As of October 2026 the cases had not been decided. Outcomes could range from settlements — VGW agreed to pay $8 million in New York in September 2026, see VGW's New York settlement — to orders forcing operators to leave the state. Separately, VGW's LuckyLand Slots closed nationwide on 14 September 2026; see LuckyLand Slots closes.
What Florida players should do
- Don't hold large balances. Redeem eligible Sweeps Coins under normal rules — at VGW sites that's about 100 SC for Chumba cash (gift cards lower) and about 50 SC at Global Poker.
- Verify your account now so a redemption isn't held up — see sweepstakes KYC.
- Keep records of purchases, redemptions and balances.
- Don't buy Gold Coins you might not be able to use if operators leave.
Track your state on where sweepstakes casinos are legal, learn what a ban means for players, and read our Stake.us, Chumba Casino and Global Poker reviews.
Sources
- Florida AG James Uthmeier sues Stake, VGW over alleged illegal online sweepstakes casinos — WEAR-TV, August 2026 ↩
- Florida AG takes on sweeps, calls them 'illegal online casinos' in suit — SBC Americas, 20 August 2026 ↩
- Florida Statutes chapter 849: Gambling — Florida Legislature ↩
