Indiana’s new anti-sweepstakes law (HB 1052) is now in force, meaning most sweepstakes casinos are leaving the Hoosier State, but popular sweeps brand Crown Coins has seemingly redesigned its currency system there.
The above-pictured email was sent out to players explaining the new system. It opened with:
“We’ve made an update due to recent regulatory changes in Indiana. The games you love stay exactly the same, the way we display your balance has changed.”
The message then went on to explain the new way of playing and cashing out:
“You’ll now see two balances
- SC Tickets: used to play in Sweeps Mode.
- Cash Balance: shows your sweeps winnings.”
So it seems the fun play currency (Crown Coins) has been removed, and Sweeps Coins have been replaced with SC Tickets. These SC Tickets are the only way to play in Indiana now, with any winnings going straight to a Cash Balance.
This change removes the standard dual-currency idea that almost all sweepstakes casinos have relied on for years. It seems Crown Coins is still maintaining that system elsewhere in the country, but modifying things in Indiana to get around the new ban.
However, the new format feels much more direct, and some could argue it’s even closer to real-money gaming, so will it hold up to scrutiny in Indiana?
What Indiana’s Gaming Laws Actually Prohibit
At the core of Indiana’s gambling laws is the definition under Indiana Code 35-45-5, which classifies gambling as risking money or property on a game of chance for a prize of value. This is a broad definition which applies to both physical and digital activity.
Then, legal gambling in the state only exists through licensing under Title 4 of the Indiana Code which covers specific categories such as casinos, sports betting, the state lottery, and charitable gaming. Anything outside this is generally treated as unlicensed gambling by default.
However, sweepstakes casinos have long existed in the gray area created by using alternative currencies rather than direct, or real money consideration. Then, with the introduction of HB 1052 (which came into effect in July), Indiana specifically banned the sweepstakes format. More specifically any site that:
“(3) utilizes a dual-currency or multi-currency system of payment allowing a player to exchange currency for:
(A) a cash prize, a cash award, or cash equivalents; or
(B) a chance to win a cash prize, a cash award, or cash equivalents;”
This seems to have prompted Crown Coins to now switch to a system that could potentially avoid the new sweeps-specific law and the previous, broader gambling law.
In practice, this is all happening within a big gray area – the new bill is very fresh and enforcement hasn’t yet fully tested edge cases like this. Plus, it’s worth noting that Crown Coins is one of the more cavalier operators around.
Crown Coins Still Operates in California but not New York
We say “cavalier” because Crown Coins seems to still be operating in California, even despite the Golden State’s own sweeps ban that came in on January 1, 2026. We frequently see players claiming successful deposits and withdrawals there, with no denial of this by the brand itself in the same online discussions.
That being said, New York implemented its ban in December last year and users there report that only bingo games remain accessible on Crown Coins. Also, the brand did comply with the recent ban in Tennessee, blocking the site for both affiliates and players there. So rather than a single response to new sweepstakes laws, Crown Coins appears to be taking different approaches depending on the state.
Why Indiana specifically received a whole new system is unclear. While not at the size of CA and NY, it does sit in the top third of US states for sweepstakes activity according to SweepsKings’ estimates – and Crown Coins clearly thinks it’s a market worth holding on to.
The brand’s approach likely comes down to its own legal interpretation of the new rules, with the new system now clearly in effect, but for how long remains uncertain.
It represents a more direct way of structuring ‘sweepstakes gaming’ too, with winning SC Tickets going straight into a cash balance with no GC layer. If successful, it could be another format that sweepstakes casinos offer while legislation attempts to catch up.
We should also remember that brands such as Card Crush are offering a similar product but in a slightly different package in almost all US states, including Indiana, California, and New York (Card Crush’s system involves a card collection game alongside a sweepstakes type currency instead of the traditional GC/SC).
Either way, from a player’s perspective, it seems Indiana residents can still play at Crown Coins for now.
Author: Michael Fatouros
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