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Delaware has tightened its grip on sweepstakes casinos, pushing more operators out of the state as regulators enforce existing gambling laws against the sector.
RealPrize and LoneStar, both owned by RealPlay Tech Inc., are the latest companies to halt sweepstakes play in Delaware, narrowing options for players there. The exits carry time-sensitive redemption deadlines, giving customers a limited window to claim funds before the operators complete their withdrawal.
RealPrize, LoneStar end sweepstakes play in DE
RealPrize and LoneStar stopped offering Sweeps Coins play to Delaware customers on Aug. 21 after receiving cease-and-desist letters from the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, according to a legal status review from Bonus.com.
Players must submit redemption requests by Sept. 21 and withdraw any remaining balances by Sept. 22. Gold Coin play, which does not involve prize redemption, is unaffected.
The order is part of a broader campaign: Delaware sent cease-and-desist letters to multiple sweepstakes operators in mid-August, and RealPrize and LoneStar wound down operations within days, Bright Side of News reported.
The enforcement action reflects Delaware regulators’ view that sweepstakes casinos fall outside the state’s legal gambling framework. Authorities cite the Delaware Constitution, the Delaware Penal Code and the Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012 as the legal basis for their position.
State cites decades-old gambling laws
RealPrize and LoneStar are not the first operators to leave Delaware. VGW, the parent company of Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker, withdrew its sweepstakes operations from the state in April 2025 after similar regulatory action. Since then, other operators have blocked Delaware customers rather than contest the state’s position.
Unlike several other states, Delaware has not enacted a law specifically targeting sweepstakes casinos. Instead, regulators have interpreted existing gambling statutes as sufficient grounds to pursue operators offering promotional casino products with prize redemption features — a stance that has made Delaware one of the more aggressive regulated states on the issue.
Regulated online casinos remain the primary option
Sweepstakes casinos have steadily disappeared from Delaware, but residents still have access to legal online casinos through the state’s regulated system.
The Delaware Lottery oversees online casino gaming, online poker and sports betting under a single statewide contract, which BetRivers operates on behalf of Delaware Park Casino, Bally’s Dover Casino Resort and Harrington Raceway & Casino.
Other legal options include the Delaware Lottery’s draw games, charitable gaming, retail casino gambling at the state’s racinos, and free-play social casino products that don’t use sweepstakes prize mechanics.
The Bonus.com review also identifies Card Crush and ZumbaCards as single-currency gaming products available to Delaware residents 21 and older. Unlike traditional sweepstakes casinos, these platforms don’t operate separate Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins systems.
Card Crush, operated by Vision NL Limited, launched in December 2025 and offers more than 200 slot and live dealer games. The platform uses Mystery Coins, worth $1 each toward eligible redemptions; gift cards become available starting at 10 Mystery Coins, and cash redemptions begin at 75.
ZumbaCards gives new users one Sweeps Coin and five Cards at signup, requires at least 100 Sweeps Coins before a cash redemption, and doesn’t offer gift card prizes.
More operators could face exit pressure ahead
Delaware’s position on sweepstakes casinos is increasingly clear, but it remains uncertain whether regulators will expand scrutiny to other promotional gaming models, including single-currency platforms such as Card Crush and ZumbaCards. Industry observers are also watching whether more operators receive enforcement notices or leave voluntarily in coming months.
For now, the departures of RealPrize and LoneStar leave Delaware residents with few alternatives outside the state’s regulated gambling market, reinforcing one of the country’s strictest approaches to online casino oversight.
