The Florida Attorney General’s Office has issued subpoenas to “several companies” operating fantasy sports and sweepstakes-style platforms in the state – that’s according to an interview published by Florida Politics.
The move is part of an escalation in how AG James Uthmeier (pictured) is approaching platforms deemed as unregulated, although the same article reports that Uthmeier plans to meet with the fantasy and sweeps operators to “exchange information” and allow them to “present their cases”.
While these subpoenas will be far from welcome for any operator on the receiving end, the olive branch of potential discussions is more than most other states have offered the sweepstakes industry in recent months.
The vast majority of sweepstakes casinos still operate in Florida, and that number includes giants like Stake.us, McLuck, and Chumba. Also, with California banning sweeps casinos completely in 2026, Florida now occupies the second spot in the list of the most populous US states that haven’t outlawed the vertical.
It’s becoming an important battleground in the future of the format, something that the SGLA (the sweepstakes trade group) picked up on when it started to promote the economic benefits of regulating sweepstakes gaming in FL recently.
Unlike states like California, Connecticut, Montana, and New Jersey, which moved directly to legislative bans for sweepstake casinos, Florida appears to be testing a different, perhaps more cooperative approach.
New York, meanwhile, has also enacted a strict ban, though NY Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. has at times floated the possibility of future regulation in vague terms.
Florida Gambling Laws Explained: Where Sweepstakes Casinos Fit
Land-based gambling in Florida is limited to casinos operated by the Seminole Tribe and a small number of heavily regulated pari-mutuel facilities, such as racetracks and cardrooms.
Florida currently allows no online gambling operations under state law, except for those conducted through the special Seminole Tribe gaming compact, granting the Tribe exclusive rights to offer online sports betting under the terms of the agreement.
In practice, this is exercised through the Hard Rock Bet platform. This does not extend to online casinos or poker – those games remain illegal even for the Tribe – but sweepstakes casinos currently offer these types of games, albeit via virtual currencies (rather than real money) in a gray area manner.
Florida Isn’t the Only State That’s Issued Subpoenas to Sweeps Casinos
It’s currently unclear which sweepstakes operators have been hit with a subpoena in Florida, but this same tool was also used in West Virginia last year, with Attorney General John McCuskey targeting 40+ sweeps operators last January. McCuskey later reported that at least 20 sweeps operators had withdrawn from WV.
Subpoenas push recipients to respond and produce information, rather than simply requesting that an activity stops. In that sense, they’re different from cease and desist letters, which are more typically used against sweeps operators.
Also, a subpoena does not automatically imply wrongdoing, nor does it guarantee enforcement action will follow. In Florida’s case, the Attorney General’s Office seems to be framing the process as information-gathering, with plans to meet operators and allow them to present their interpretations of compliance under existing law.
That combination sets Florida apart from states that have moved directly to bans. Where this approach will lead remains uncertain, but it signals that sweepstakes platforms are now on the state’s regulatory radar.
Sweeps seem to have been on the radar of lawmakers too, with bills filed in the FL legislature last year that could have banned the format. SB 1404 and HB 1467 both made progress during the last session, but ultimately fizzled out.
However, new bills in the form of HB 591 and HB 189 have been filed for the 2026 session, and these could have similar effects on sweeps, even if they’re more broad in scope.
HB 591 looks to dramatically overhaul Florida’s gambling enforcement framework across both online and land-based gambling, and could essentially outlaw sweepstakes casinos.
Then, HB 189 is a more targeted bill focused on explicitly criminalizing unauthorized online gambling and internet sports wagering outside the Seminole compact, which could also capture sweeps.
Things are certainly heating up in Florida, as the state becomes one of the most prominent battlegrounds for the sweepstakes industry in 2026.
As usual, we’ll keep you updated with any developments that could affect players as they happen.
Author: Joseph Allen
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