Modo sent out a follow-up email in November 2025 to clarify its original announcement. In this second message, the social casino confirmed that starting January 1, 2026, players from California will only be able to play using Gold Coins. Sweepstakes Coins will be removed from Modo’s promotional packages in December, with SC gameplay and redemptions supported until December 31, 2025.
Sweepstakes players in California have had every right to be upset with the AB831 bill signed into law earlier this month. This new piece of legislation will effectively outlaw the sweeps casino dual-currency format there come January 1.
It will mean players in the Golden State will have to find a new hobby, or be content with sites where Gold Coin-only play is possible. The likes of Chumba, Pulsz, and Carnival Citi already run this system in other states and it’s likely they’ll expand it to California too.
And a new brand could be added to that list soon – that’s one take on an email that was just sent out by Modo Casino, one of the bigger operators in sweepstakes gaming currently.
The email read:
“UPDATE TO YOUR MODO CASINO EXPERIENCE IN CALIFORNIA
We wanted to let you know that California recently passed AB831, a new law, that will end sweepstakes (SC) gameplay in the state beginning January 1, 2026.
No need to worry about losing access to Modo Casino, our team is already working on updates to ensure we can continue to deliver a fun and rewarding experience for all California players after that date! You’ll be hearing more from us soon with details on what’s next.”
It reads with a confident tone, so Modo players will likely be getting their hopes up.
Just What Is Modo Planning?
As I mentioned, the easiest conclusion to draw would be that Modo are going to enable GC-only play, a format which will not be affected by AB831. This is because it’s free-play that doesn’t involve Sweeps Coins or any chance at redemption – it does come with that massive caveat.
That being said, there’s still the possibility that Modo are working on something quite different.
Thinking about other brands in the space, the only other sweepstakes site that reinvented its model recently is ClubWPT Gold, a sweeps poker platform and sister site to ClubWPT.
Replacing the standard GC/SC dual-currency format, ClubWPT Gold implemented a new system where players can buy credits for a ‘hand analysis’ software and get ‘Chips’ (SC) for free.
All things considered, this could still be viewed as a dual-currency system, and AB831 rules out that very thing. The wording of the bill specifically outlaws “a dual-currency system of payment that allows a person to play or participate with direct consideration or indirect consideration” in relation to online sweepstakes games.
Therefore it’s still unclear whether this new format from ClubWPT Gold will pass muster once the new law comes into force.
Gold Machine Promotes Petition to Overturn AB831
On the same subject, we also received an email from Gold Machine recently, one of the smaller sweepstakes casinos that recently launched, but that email promoted a petition on Change.org – one aimed at overturning CA’s AB831 bill:
“Please help California residents by signing this petition and sharing everywhere possible to prevent further bans in your state if you wish to petition against the bill banning sweepstakes.
Whether you like playing with us or at a different social casino platform, we strongly believe that the consumer should have the right to choose. Elected officials with the power of lobbying are no longer representing people’s opinions.”
AB831 was indeed a massive blow for players in California – and the industry as a whole – but it seems sweeps casinos aren’t going down without a fight, either creating petitions or rethinking their currency model.
We’ll, of course, be keeping an eye on developments around California and AB831, and we’ll update you with any news as it comes.
Author: Joseph Allen
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