Pragmatic Play says it will stop licensing its games to sweepstakes operators in US states without existing restrictions, citing regulatory developments and changing legislation. The supplier was named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit filed by Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto against Stake.us.
The withdrawal removes Pragmatic Play games from US sweepstakes operators in states without existing restrictions.
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Governor Janet Mills signed LD 2007 into law on 6 April, making Maine the second US state in 2026 to prohibit online sweepstakes games using dual-currency systems. The law classifies operating, promoting or supporting such games as a civil violation and unlawful gambling, with civil fines of $10,000 to $100,000 and potential licence loss for licensed operators.
Maine Governor Janet Mills signed a law on 6 April classifying online sweepstakes games as unlawful gambling. The legislation provides for fines of $10,000 to $100,000 per offence and allows possible revocation of a state gambling licence held by an operator found in violation.
Indiana lawmakers have passed a bill to ban online sweepstakes games and include sportsbooks in the state’s voluntary exclusion programme. The available report does not state the bill’s status beyond passage by lawmakers.
The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance is urging lawmakers in Pennsylvania and Virginia to establish licensing and taxation for Social Plus games, citing studies by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. The studies estimate 2025 player spending of $423 million in Virginia and projected purchases of $446 million in Pennsylvania, and model annual state revenue of more than $30 million and $40 million respectively under proposed regulatory approaches.
Maine’s Joint Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs voted 8-2 on 18 February to advance LD 2007, which would classify operating or promoting dual-currency, casino-style sweepstakes games as unlawful gambling. The bill proposes civil penalties of $10,000 to $100,000 per violation. Gambling Control Unit director Milton Champion estimated roughly 60 such casinos operate in the state; VGW urged lawmakers to regulate and tax the model instead.