Reason For the Shutdown
If you've been following the sweepstakes industry even slightly, you'll know it's been a tumultuous year, to say the least.
The biggest news is that they're banned in California as of Jan. 1, 2026, prompting many brands to leave. While some are simply leaving California and continuing elsewhere, Vegas Coins decided to shut it all down.
They sent a message out to players on Nov. 28, citing "market conditions."
“Unfortunately the market conditions in the USA relating to Sweepstakes have made it very hard to operate and we were left with no other choice but to wind down operations,” was part of the email message.
There was some icing on the cake yesterday, too, with New York Governor Kathy Hochul signing the sweepstakes ban bill, Senate Bill 5935, into law, which takes effect immediately.
As for the platforms that are continuing but simply leaving California, the list is long, including Dara Casino, LuckySlot, High 5, Ruby Sweeps, and many more.
Other platforms like McLuck and Pulsz are closing down in December.
Other Brands That Have Closed Down
In the wake of the evolving industry, other brands besides Vegas Coins have called it quits, including Bitsler.io and Starlight Casino, which closed down this month. Starlight shut down its ship on Oct. 16, and Bitsler.io did on Dec. 1.
Another brand that closed down some time ago was Vivaro.us for the same reasons, citing “increasing regulatory uncertainty surrounding sweepstakes casinos in the United States.”
We'll see if other brands decide to close up shop amid the California and New York bans and a potential Florida ban, as that bill will be introduced at the start of their legislative session in March 2026.