We don’t hear much about Minnesota when it comes to sweepstakes casinos, and its first enforcement moves are proving a little toothless.
Speaking to Covers last week, agent Jon Anglin from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (AGE) said they had made contact with more than 20 sweepstakes and offshore operators at the start of June to request a halting or modification of operations.
However, Minnesota is one of a handful of states that doesn’t possess the power to issue a formal cease and desist letter in cases like these; that’s despite the AGE considering this type of online casino illegal under state law.
In other words, while the AGE can request that unlicensed operators withdraw or adjust their services, it cannot compel them to comply because it lacks authority to enforce against non-licensees. Any further action would require involvement from the Attorney General’s office or other law enforcement agencies.
Minnesota Regulator Signals Action, but Lacks Power to Enforce
Only this year we’ve reported on C&Ds being issued to sweeps casinos from various states, like New York, Arizona, Louisiana, Maryland, and Delaware. These letters implicitly carry the threat of possible fines and court orders, and we’d say most operators eventually comply.
Analysts have commented that such C&Ds could be a more direct and effective tool than trying to introduce specific anti-sweeps legislation – as we’ve seen in Montana, Connecticut, and New Jersey in 2025.
However, Minnesota’s hands are tied, mainly due to a smaller regulatory body and a lack of gambling control legislation in place. The AGE is only able to regulate state licensees – something which these sweeps casinos and offshore operators are not.
The only real threat the state wields is the ability to hold noncompliance against an operator when it comes to consideration for a future license. However, this is a relatively weak deterrent, especially as Minnesota has no plans to legalize online casino gaming anytime soon.
So Which Sweepstakes Casinos Have Left Minnesota?
The short answer is: none that we know of.
The social casino operators reported to have been contacted by the AGE are:
However, we couldn’t see Minnesota listed as a restricted territory in the terms of services for any of the above.
In fact, Bovada, an offshore operator, was contacted by AGE too, but it has chosen not to withdraw from the state. This is despite exiting other US states after receiving C&Ds.
The North Star State is a relatively restrictive jurisdiction when it comes to gaming. While it possesses land-based casinos, it hasn’t legalized online casinos or online poker, and sports betting is also unavailable (though legislation is being considered for 2026).
If anything changes with sweeps casinos in Minnesota, you’ll be sure to hear about it here at SweepsKings, but for now, players there seem safe.
Author: Joseph Allen
Updated:
