RealPrize, MyPrize.us, Legendz, and Zula are among an ever-growing list of sweepstakes casinos pulling out of New York. With around 20 million residents, the Empire State is the fourth most populous in the US, and represents a significant market for the industry.
We recently reported that multiple sweeps operators were leaving New York in anticipation of the signing into law of anti-sweepstakes proposal, S5935. That bill is currently working its way through the NY Senate, having been filed at the start of March by Sen. Joseph Addabbo. If enacted, it would grant power to the state gaming commission and attorney general to hand sweepstakes companies fines of up to $100,000.
The counterpart bill in the Assembly, A6745 is also on a similar journey, and the text of both states “This act shall take effect immediately”, which could be one reason for the hasty retreat by many sweeps sites. However, as we saw last week in Mississippi, anti-sweepstakes bills are not always guaranteed to pass.
Still, many operators believe the writing is already on the wall in NY, as over the past few days we’ve learned the following sweepstakes companies have moved out or stated they will:
- SCPS LLC/Blazesoft Ltd: Fortune Coins, YayCasino.us, YayCasino.com, Zula, and Sportzino
- Silver Swan Ltd: Legendz
- RealPlay Tech Inc: RealPrize and Lonestar
- Play Spree Ltd: Spree
- My Technology Inc: MyPrize.us
- A1 Development LLC: Funrize, NoLimitCoins, TaoFortune, Fortune Wheelz, and FunzCity
In fact, some New York-based customers of RealPrize were given little time to redeem any winnings when the casino pulled out of the state a day early. Having initially stated its NY service would be discontinued on March 28th, RealPrize actually pulled out a day early on the 27th.
Sweepstakes Casinos to be Replaced with iGaming in the Empire State?
Addabbo, who’s Chair of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, holds sway when it comes to gambling in New York. He’s expressed intentions to legalize traditional online casino gambling in the state, so S5935 could be seen as clearing the way to allow regulated iGaming and all the tax revenues it brings. That said, he’s likely to have more of a battle on his hands with that particular issue, as similar proposals in the past have failed.
Still, anti-sweepstake sentiment is strong in many quarters of the US, and S5935 is one of many sweepstakes-specific proposals being debated and voted on by state lawmakers. We’re yet to see any such bill gain assent, but it feels increasingly likely that the seal will be broken in the coming months.
Some New York Sweeps Casinos Remain
Some popular sweeps sites are still choosing to stay in New York for the time being. This group includes popular casinos like Chumba Casino and LuckyLand Slots, with their parent company, VGW yet to announce New York as a restricted location.
Make sure to stay tuned to SweepsKings for all the major updates on New York and other US states.
Author: Joseph Allen
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