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State of Play’s TL;DR
- In July, player interest in sweepstakes casinos hit its highest point for 2026.
- It comes amid more states restricting or banning the platforms.
Consumer interest in US sweepstakes casinos climbed to its highest point of 2026 in July, even as more states moved to ban or restrict the model.
New data shows demand recovering sharply from a May low while lawmakers and regulators across the country continue to tighten scrutiny.
The Sweepstakes Blask Index rose to 14.24 million in July, up from 13.83 million in June. That followed a softer spring, with the index at 11.33 million in May. From that May low to July, consumer interest increased by about 25.7%.
July demand rose even after a spring dip
According to the data cited by Sigma, the index started the year at 12.01 million in January, slipped to 11.72 million in February, moved up to 12.09 million in March, and then eased to 11.92 million in April before bottoming in May.
Brand demand remained concentrated at the top. Chumba Casino led the sweepstakes sector with 19.25% of tracked consumer demand, followed by LuckyLand Slots at 8.84% and Stake’s sweepstakes offering at 6.45%. Together, those three brands accounted for more than one-third of measured demand.
Among other operators, Crown Coins posted 49.61% year-over-year BAP growth and 18.01% month-over-month growth. Lucky Rush recorded 47.77% annual growth. Yay Casino posted the strongest year-over-year increase among the top 10 brands at 66.15%, while McLuck had the strongest monthly growth among leading operators at 23.66%.
More states are moving against sweepstakes casino models
The demand increase came as legislative and enforcement pressure expanded across multiple jurisdictions.
In Indiana, several major operators reportedly withdrew from the market amid legal concerns, including Chumba Casino, Stake.us, McLuck, WOW Vegas, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker. In Tennessee, lawmakers approved legislation in May prohibiting sweepstakes casinos, making it the seventh US state banning the model.
The other states prohibiting sweepstakes casino operations are California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Montana, and Louisiana.
The Sigma report also pointed to action elsewhere. Iowa reinforced its legal framework and gave regulators greater authority against suspected unlicensed gambling operators. Oklahoma lawmakers overrode the governor’s veto on legislation aimed at online platforms that use virtual currency or sweepstakes systems. Louisiana advanced bills that would classify dual-currency sweepstakes casinos as illegal online gambling and extend racketeering laws to related offenses.
Washington, D.C. explored a proposal pairing online casino legalization with a sweepstakes ban. Minnesota legislators moved forward with a bill targeting both sweepstakes casinos and prediction markets. Maine regulators also outlined enforcement plans after the state’s sweepstakes casino ban.
Based on reporting by Neha Soni for Sigma.
