Florida AG targets Reddit, Snap, TikTok over sweepstakes ads
The move follows Florida’s August lawsuits against Stake and VGW brands like Chumba Casino, LuckyLand and Global Poker.
Key Takeaways
- Florida’s Attorney General has demanded Reddit, Snap and TikTok stop carrying ads for sweepstakes gambling platforms in the state.
- The companies have until October 23 to confirm the ads are removed and explain how they’ll prevent future ones from reaching Florida users.
- The letters name Stake and VGW brands, including Chumba Casino, LuckyLand and Global Poker, as examples of platforms being promoted. Florida filed lawsuits against Stake and VGW in August.
US.- Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier has sent letters to Reddit, Snap and TikTok demanding they stop carrying ads for sweepstakes gambling platforms. He’s given the companies until October 23 to confirm removal and explain their prevention plans.
The move extends Florida’s action against sweepstakes casinos beyond the operators themselves following lawsuits against Stake and VGW in Hillsborough County Circuit Court in August. The letters identify Stake and several VGW brands, including Chumba Casino, LuckyLand and Global Poker, as examples of the platforms being promoted. Uthmeier said the companies advertising these services are helping to facilitate gambling activity that his office considers illegal under Florida law.
In the state’s lawsuit, Uthmeier has accused sweepstakes operators of using deceptive marketing and avoiding Florida’s licensing, taxation and consumer-protection requirements. The state seeks the recovery of money allegedly lost by consumers, restitution, disgorgement and civil penalties under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Operators have argued that their models are lawful because the redeemable currency can be obtained without purchasing the non-redeemable virtual currency. Florida argues that the dual-currency structure allows users to participate in real-money gambling.
Florida lawmakers failed to pass gambling enforcement measures during the 2026 legislative session. House Bill 591, which sought to prohibit non-Seminole Tribe gambling, failed in a House subcommittee. Senate Bill 1580, a broader measure targeting illegal gambling, passed the Senate, and an amended version cleared the House by 82-31 on March 11, but the Senate did not resolve the changes before the legislative session ended.
Several other states have sought to take action against sweepstakes casinos, including Indiana, Maine, Tennessee and Louisiana.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Why is Florida suing Stake and VGW? Florida filed lawsuits in Hillsborough County Circuit Court in August, arguing that the companies’ dual-currency sweepstakes model amounts to illegal real-money gambling. It’s seeking restitution, disgorgement and civil penalties.
- Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Florida? Florida’s Attorney General considers them to be illegal online gambling. Operators maintain their models are lawful because the redeemable currency can be obtained without purchasing the non-redeemable virtual currency.
