Florida Demands Google, Meta, TikTok Stop Sweepstakes Casino Ads
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has written to five of the world’s biggest online platforms to demand they stop advertising sweepstakes casinos to state residents.
Uthmeier sent near-identical letters to Google (which owns YouTube), Meta (Facebook), Reddit, Snap (Snapchat), and TikTok on September 24, warning that promoting illegal gambling is a crime under Florida law.
The companies have until October 23 to explain in writing what steps they have taken to prevent sweepstakes casino advertising from reaching Floridians.
Uthmeier specifically names Stake and VGW-owned Chumba Casino, LuckyLand, and Global Poker, all of which were targeted by lawsuits filed by Uthmeier’s office last month.
“It has come to my attention that your company may be advertising illegal ‘sweepstakes’ casinos on its social media platforms to residents of Florida,” Uthmeier wrote in the letter to Google.
“Promoting illegal gambling is a crime under Florida law.”
Pressure Moves Upstream
The move suggests Uthmeier wants to dismantle the infrastructure that supports sweepstakes casinos rather than just targeting the operators themselves.
On August 19, the attorney general filed two lawsuits in Hillsborough County Circuit Court against Stake and VGW, as well as payment processors allegedly facilitating transactions for the companies. Those include Worldpay and Trustly in the VGW case, and Praxis and Breeze Labs in the Stake litigation.
The lawsuits allege the companies’ dual-currency sweepstakes system disguises real-money gambling. The model typically allows players to purchase packages of virtual “Gold Coins” bundled with a second currency that can ultimately be redeemed for cash or prizes.
The operators have historically argued that their sweepstakes model complies with applicable laws.
Uthmeier is seeking permanent injunctions preventing the defendants from operating or soliciting customers in Florida, along with recovery of consumer gambling losses, disgorgement, restitution, civil penalties, and attorneys’ fees.
“Through these lawsuits, my office has made it clear that Florida will not tolerate illegal gambling, and we will pursue both those who operate and those who facilitate these criminal operations,” Uthmeier wrote in the letters.
Advertising ‘Similarly Unlawful’
Uthmeier argues Stake and VGW’s sites are not authorized to operate gambling websites or online casinos in Florida and that advertising them is “similarly unlawful.”
Sweepstakes casino operators have invested heavily in social media marketing. A 2025 American Gaming Association analysis of Sensor Tower data found Chumba Casino advertising across Reddit, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, X, and Instagram, while other sweepstakes operators concentrated heavily on YouTube.
The industry also uses influencers, affiliates, athletes, and celebrities to promote its products. Stake.us operates an affiliate program that pays commissions for referred players, while its partnerships have produced social media content featuring UFC athletes.
