Stake.us and Lucky.me are withdrawing from Arkansas, with the two sweepstakes casinos announcing separate exit dates.
Lucky.me has already informed customers by email that it stopped serving Arkansas residents on November 9, 2026. It cited “newly enacted state legislation prohibiting the operation and participation in sweepstakes-style casino platforms“. Players have been given until November 15 to redeem eligible Sweeps Coin balances.
However, SweepsKings is not aware of any recent legislative changes in the Natural State.
What has certainly happened is that Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a lawsuit against VGW, the operator of popular sweeps sites Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Casino, and Global Poker. Filed on November 4 (the day after he won re-election), the suit alleges that VGW’s brands have been offering illegal gambling in the state, although the case is still in its very early stages.
Still, actions like this can be enough to spook other operators.
Stake.us Pulls Out of Arkansas
Could Griffin’s lawsuit have influenced Stake.us‘ decision too?
The popular sweeps platform has emailed players to let them know it too will leave Arkansas on December 7. From that date, affected accounts will be placed into ‘Redeem Only’ mode, allowing customers to log in and redeem remaining eligible balances.
There is, however, an important distinction between the AG’s lawsuit and a statewide ban.
Our review of Arkansas legislative records found no newly enacted law specifically prohibiting sweepstakes casinos in 2026. The closest thing we’ve found is two bills from 2025 that would have addressed online casino gaming and dual-currency platforms (HB 1861 and SB 524). Both were withdrawn without becoming law.
This raises questions about Lucky.me’s explanation for its departure. The company specifically attributes its decision to newly enacted legislation, but it hasn’t identified the specific Act or statutory provision in its customer email.
Players Left in the Dark as to Why
Stake.us hasn’t publicly explained the reason for its withdrawal either. Could operators have received cease-and-desist letters, or are they simply reassessing their legal exposure in the state? We don’t know yet.
For now, the vast majority of sweepstakes casinos remain operational in Arkansas. But with two operators leaving within weeks of the VGW lawsuit, this is a story worth watching.
It’s also worth mentioning that Stake.us has recently introduced restrictions in Texas and Mississippi too, although the situation is different from Arkansas.
New registrations are blocked in both states, but existing customers can reportedly continue playing, which is unusual. Stake hasn’t publicly explained the reasoning behind these changes either.
Author: Joseph Allen
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