Chumba Spins Launches Closed Beta in Sweepstakes-Restricted States

As Oklahoma prepares to bring in its sweeps casino ban on November 1, Chumba Casino has sent out emails to players in the state, announcing a new style of gameplay called Chumba Spins.

The email begins:

This confirms that players will no longer be able to play with Sweeps Coins (SC) at Chumba, or redeem them for real cash prizes as they have been doing.

However, Chumba Spins is arriving as an alternative, using the same concept as sites like Horseplay (and the recently-closed GiddyUp), working with real money deposits and cashouts.

Recipients of the email will already be able to sign up and try Chumba Spins, plus they’ll be able to receive a 100% credit match on their first purchase.

Is Chumba Spins Live Now?

Yes, Chumba Spins is already live as a separate website. If you visit the domain, it’s currently up as a closed-beta landing page where uninvited players can join a waitlist, and a look at the site’s terms reveals that VGW isn’t operating the wagering service directly.

Instead, it’s run exclusively by Game Play Network (GPN), Inc., the same company behind Horseplay; VGW seems to be lending its branding and marketing power, while GPN manages the licensed framework.

Also, according to the initial terms, Chumba Spins is authorized to operate in Oklahoma, California, and Delaware, with a strict 21+ age limit for registration.

The Magic of Parimutuel-Powered Gaming

Parimutuel-powered gaming is where casino-style games are powered by the results of real horse races rather than random number generators (RNGs), making the games legal in certain jurisdictions, including Oklahoma.

This style of gaming is often called advance deposit wagering (ADW) too, and for the consumer, there’s not all that much difference from the standard slots experience, with the magic happening in the backend.

The game effectively acts as a visual layer that reveals the result of a horse race and its associated betting pool. However, the selection of games running on this system may be much more limited than those running on RNGs.

In fact, one Chumba Spins player already commented saying:

This user clearly wasn’t impressed, but the 100% deposit/credit match bonus does seem like it could be good value.

Plus, it is likely that many players will find this new system preferable to GC-play only, which is all that Chumba offers in some other states where SC gaming has been banned.

Why Oklahoma is Outlawing Dual-Currency Sweepstakes

Either way, Oklahoma residents will see their options severely limited from November 1. All legitimate brands will – or have already – pulled out of the Sooner State due to SB 1589.

This was one of a handful of anti-sweeps bills that passed in the US this year, and it creates a new definition of “online casino games” where risking a “representative of value” is illegal.

“Representative of value” is defined in the text as:

This makes operation of a dual-currency casino a Class C2 felony, and fines of up to $2,000 can be brought, as can imprisonment.

The proposal passed the Senate 48-0 in March, then the House in May with a vote of 65-21. However, OK Governor Stitt quashed the bill, saying it was “so broad that it criminalizes everyday apps people use for fun.”

But in a shock twist, the legislature overrode the veto, ensuring that the bill would, in fact, come into effect on November 1.

How Chumba Spins Games Actually Work

Chumba Spins runs on an ADW pari-mutuel system, the same framework used for legal horse race betting.

Generally, the platform’s API takes your stake and instantly places a real bet across a live or historical horse race; the system automatically splits your money into horse racing pools, and when you tap ‘spin’ on your phone, you’re basically unboxing or ‘revealing’ those race results.

If your automated race bet won $15, the server tells the app, and the game simply picks a winning slot reel animation that adds up to $15. Tapping ‘spin’ doesn’t calculate your luck on the spot; it’s just a fun video visualizer for a result that already happened.

This backend setup is also why the game selection on Chumba Spins might feel so bare-bones right now. Standard online slots from major studios are built strictly around RNG math and can’t just be plugged into horse racing pools; operators have to custom-build or license specialized games designed specifically to map onto these racing payout tables.

Chumba Spins Now Joins Other Sweepstakes Alternatives

Working with Game Play Network on Chumba Spins shifts VGW away from violating the new Oklahoma law. Players at Chumba Spins will be technically betting into shared pari-mutuel pools against each other rather than playing a dual-currency casino against the house.

And as we’ve seen from the terms, this site has legs outside of Oklahoma too, with California and Delaware being part of the setup for now. However, Horseplay is available in many more states, so maybe we’ll see operator GPN expand things further.

It’s also worth noting that Oklahoma players still have other options on the table. Platforms like Card Crush, ZumbaCards, and Blitz.us are stepping into the gap, using card collection systems and skill-based formats like solitaire to sidestep dual-currency rules. So with SB 1589 shutting down sweepstakes models, the alternatives are already lining up.