Louisiana’s Department of Revenue has filed lawsuits seeking about $44m in unpaid sales taxes from sweepstakes casino operators VGW and WOW Vegas, according to court filings. The state seeks about $32.5m from VGW and $13.6m from WOW Vegas, alleging they did not collect and remit taxes on virtual currency sales.
The claims put the operators’ virtual-currency sales and tax obligations in Louisiana before the courts.
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Indiana’s ban on dual-currency online sweepstakes casino platforms took effect after House Bill 1052 became law, prompting operators to withdraw or remove redeemable games. The law allows civil penalties of up to $100,000 per violation and provides no licensing route or transition period; some platforms reportedly still accepted Indiana players as of 2 July.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said the state filed three lawsuits against VGW, Kalshi and Polymarket over alleged unlicensed gambling. The cases claim Kalshi and Polymarket offer sports-related contracts without state sports betting licences; the Kalshi action also names Coinbase, while the Polymarket case identifies Robinhood and Webull as affiliates.
Tennessee’s House State & Local Government Committee approved HB 1885 by a 21-0 vote, with one abstention, sending it to the Finance, Ways & Means Committee before a possible full House vote. The proposed ban would allow fines of up to $15,000 per violation. In Maryland, a Senate committee heard HB 1226 but did not vote; the bill had passed the House 135-1 on 23 March.
Baltimore filed a lawsuit on 4 March against VGW, Stake.us, McLuck, Pulsz, High 5 and Blazesoft, alleging that their sweepstakes casino platforms violate local consumer protection law. The city seeks civil penalties, restitution, injunctive relief and disgorgement, claiming the platforms’ paid virtual currency, chance-based games and redeemable prizes amount to illegal gambling; the allegations have not been established by a court.
Tennessee’s Senate Commerce and Labor Committee voted 8-0 to advance Senate Bill 2136 to the Senate floor, reportedly on 24 February. The proposed measure would prohibit online sweepstakes and app-based gambling products, extend potential enforcement to payment processors, and authorise the Attorney General’s Office to seek civil injunctions; it preserves exceptions for the state lottery and licensed sports wagering.