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A sigh of relief is being breathed by social casino players in Georgia and Alabama.
On Aug. 11, McLuck Casino, operated by B-Two Operations, announced in a blog post that both states have been removed from its list of restricted regions.
That change came via a quiet terms-of-service update on Aug. 7. It was almost like sweeping the legal fog aside and flipping the switch back on. For players there: If you were blocked before, you can now log back in and play again.
Inside the Legal Headwinds Facing Sweepstakes Casinos
For those unfamiliar with social casinos, they are platforms where you can play casino-style games without actually using real money. They operate under a “sweepstakes” model, where one type of virtual currency is used for fun and another, called Sweeps Coins, can be redeemed for cash prizes.
This development with B-Two Operations is notable because it goes against the industry’s current trend. The operator had originally pulled out of Alabama and Georgia as a precaution, since sweepstakes casinos have faced increased scrutiny from regulators and lawsuits across the country. In fact, some states, like Connecticut and Montana, have even banned them.
Alabama has been a hotbed of legal action against sweepstakes casinos. There are at least 13 active lawsuits targeting major operators such as VGW (Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots), Stake.us and others.
Georgia’s situation was different. A lawsuit was filed against VGW in May 2024, but it was later dismissed by a U.S. District Court. The court ruled that VGW did not have a strong enough physical presence in the state to be sued there, even though its sites were accessible to players. This ruling may have given B-Two the green light, as other companies, such as Zula Casino, also reinstated access in Georgia after the dismissal.
From West to East, Lawmakers Eye Restrictions on Sweeps Casinos
As B-Two Operations restarts in Alabama and Georgia, California is heading in the opposite direction.
The state is considering Assembly Bill 831, which could outlaw sweepstakes casinos entirely. In response, B-Two Operations has begun pulling back. It has asked affiliate partners to stop promoting sites such as Hello Millions, PlayFame, and SpinBlitz to California players.
For now, it is holding off on making that move for its flagship brand, McLuck. The move appears to be a proactive attempt to avoid trouble if the bill passes while keeping its most profitable site active as long as possible.
New Jersey is following a similar path. Assembly Bill 5447 has passed both houses of the Legislature, and now it’s up to Governor Phil Murphy to sign it into law.
So, while there is cause for celebration in the South, the drama is still unfolding on both coasts.
The States Still Off-Limits to McLuck Players
Even with the change in Alabama and Georgia, several states remain off-limits for McLuck, Hello Millions, SpinBlitz and PlayFame. The updated list of excluded states includes:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Idaho
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Washington
- West Virginia
B-Two’s newer sites, Mega Bonanza and Jackpota, do not appear to have had their terms updated yet. This means players in Alabama and Georgia still can’t access them—for now.
