We’ve finally received reliable information on the withdrawal of Sweeps Coin (SC) play from California by the VGW sweepstakes brands (Chumba, LuckyLand Slots, LuckyLand Casino, Global Poker).
It comes via an online post from famous slots streamer, Brian Christopher AKA BCSlots.
Posting in his Facebook group, Christopher said he’ll soon no longer be able to stream SC play, citing California’s new law banning the dual-currency sweepstakes model.
In the post, Christopher wrote:
“New state legislation taking effect on 1 January 2026 means Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots and LuckyLand Casino will no longer be able to offer sweepstakes promotions in California. Starting 30 December 2025, California players won’t be able to collect or play using Sweeps Coins.
Because my streams depend heavily on Sweeps play and I’m based in California, I won’t be able to feature these brands once the new rules come into effect. Gold Coin play stays available, but Sweeps Coin play must stop for all California accounts.”
Christopher goes on to point out that impacted players from Chumba, LuckyLand Slots, and LuckyLand Casino will soon be contacted by email with full details, and that casino support staff can help with any further queries.
He also points out that he’ll be streaming GC play rather than SC play going forward.
VGW to End Sweeps Coin Play in CA on December 30
Given Christopher’s relationship with VGW, his statement should reflect fact, although VGW has not provided an official announcement yet. It’s also reasonable to expect the same restrictions will apply to Global Poker, Chumba’s sister site.
To be honest, it’s largely what we expected. VGW already implements a GC play-only system in some other jurisdictions where sweepstakes play is outlawed: Idaho, New York, Louisiana, New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia. Therefore, it was likely an easy decision to offer this format in California too.
GC play is purely for fun, essentially functioning as pure social casino play. Because it doesn’t lead to real cash redemptions, it falls outside state gambling prohibitions and is permitted as social casino gaming.
The only real question mark was when VGW would withdraw its brands from the Golden State, and it seems we now have an answer: the restriction will begin on December 30. Unlike most other sweeps casinos that have already pulled out, VGW are staying active in CA almost until the January 1 deadline.
At the time of writing, players have 12 days left to play with SC on VGW platforms. No firm details have yet been announced regarding a cutoff for SC withdrawals.
It is possible that Sweeps Coin redemptions could remain available after December 30 for CA players, although no confirmation on that has been provided. We simply say this because Stake.us is also implementing SC restrictions beginning December 30, while allowing redemptions indefinitely after this date.
However, to be on the safe side, we urge VGW players to submit any redemption requests as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
New California Law Hasn’t Dampened VGW’s Appetite
VGW is the originator of the online sweepstakes casino format, starting with Chumba Casino in 2012, and adding further brands to its roster more recently (LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker).
The company, its founder (Laurence Escalante), and the trade group it heads up (Social Gaming Leadership Alliance) were vocal opponents of California’s AB831 bill which will outlaw the sweepstakes dual currency format starting next year. The legislation was strongly backed by California’s gaming tribes, and eventually signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Despite this bill taking the US’ biggest sweepstakes market off the table, VGW is continuing to expand its portfolio, having launched LuckyLand Casino earlier this month (it’s unclear at this time whether LuckyLand Casino will merge with or replace LuckyLand Slots).
There are also plans for a new sweeps brand by the company, United Slots to launch next year.
Author: Joseph Allen
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