California has enacted AB 831 into law, banning contest and sweepstakes gambling, including dual-currency sweepstakes poker and casino products. The measure criminalizes operators and any company that facilitates the games, and it takes effect on January 1, 2026.
The signature ends weeks of uncertainty after lawmakers unanimously advanced the bill. It also confirms that every major sweeps poker room must exit California before the deadline, cutting off a market of 39 million residents.
The law’s scope is sweeping and explicit. It targets operators, payment processors, geolocation providers, content suppliers, platform providers and media affiliates. Penalties include a misdemeanor, fines up to 25 thousand dollars, and up to one year in county jail. The statute clarifies that lawful tribal casino games, the state lottery, and limited promotional sweepstakes tied to bona fide product sales remain allowed.
In September, Pokerfuse detailed how AB 831 advanced with no opposing votes, and how a veto was the last hope for players. That reporting explained the operational risk to operators, affiliates and suppliers, and the tight timeline facing players if the bill became law. Those projections now come to pass, as the bill moved through the legislature and awaited the Governor’s decision.
Operators are still live today, but the countdown has started. Sweeps poker will leave California well before the effective date, based on recent exit patterns in other states.
What Happens Next for Poker Players and Sites
Nothing changes immediately on the platforms. Leading rooms such as Global Poker, Clubs Poker, Stake Poker, and ClubWPT Gold continue to run games in California for now.
The exit will come in phases. First, operators will stop taking new purchases or will geofence features. Next, they will announce final dates for Sweeps Coin redemptions. Finally, they will shut off access for California accounts.
Recent examples point to short redemption windows. When WPT’s sweeps room left two states this fall, it gave players between two weeks and one month to cash out. That timeline was documented when ClubWPT Gold withdrew from Connecticut and Louisiana.
Some suppliers have already left California. High 5 Casino, a major sweepstakes casino and content shop, exited the state in September. Large studios like Playtech and Evolution withdrew content. Pragmatic Play stepped back from the entire US sweeps segment. Those moves foreshadow broader poker exits now that the signature is in place.
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Key dates now locked in
| Deadline or event | Impact on California sweepstakes poker |
|---|---|
| Governor signature recorded | Confirms AB 831 is law. Exits are now certain. |
| Operator exit notices | Expected to begin in the coming weeks with short redemption windows. |
| Law takes effect, January 1, 2026 | All dual-currency sweeps operations must be offline for California. |
Why California Banned Sweepstake Poker and How the Market Reacts
California’s legislature framed dual-currency sweepstakes as illegal gambling dressed as social play. The model grants free Sweeps Coins tied to purchases of a fun currency, which can be used for poker and redeemed for cash. This construct has long powered the largest sweeps poker market in the country.
Tribal gaming interests largely supported the ban. They argued that cash redemptions blur the line and compete with exclusive gaming rights. A minority of tribal voices opposed the bill, warning that a hard ban would widen gaps between large and small tribes and cut off a new revenue avenue.
Industry advocates pushed back with economic data. They warned of more than one billion dollars in annual economic impact at risk, plus hundreds of millions in lost potential tax revenue if California regulated instead of banned. Pokerfuse’s previous analysis highlighted the scale of the market and the consequences for payment companies, media partners and affiliates if a ban passed. That forecast now shifts from theory to execution as sites prepare to leave the state.
The momentum against sweeps is not unique to California. Other states followed similar paths this year and last. That pattern drove a series of operator retreats, model pivots, and compressed cashout windows across the map, including the changes at WPT’s sweeps poker product that were explored in depth when ClubWPT Gold announced exits and teased a new direction.
What Options Remain for California Poker and Where Legal Online Poker Stands
When the law takes effect, Sweeps Coins or similar prizes will not be redeemable for cash by California players. That means no online tournaments or ring games that pay real-money prizes on sweeps platforms.
Free-play poker apps will remain. Options like PlayWSOP and Zynga Poker offer social games without cash prizes. These are not impacted by the law.
Regulated real-money california online poker remains a distant prospect. There are no active bills close to passage, and stakeholders remain far apart on a framework. Until that changes, California players will rely on live cardrooms, home games, and social apps, while facing growing risk and uncertainty around offshore sites that operate without state oversight.
Some sweeps operators may try to pivot to other models separate from dual-currency play. WPT’s platform has already experimented with model changes and state-by-state withdrawals amid rising scrutiny. That shift was tracked earlier this fall when the product realigned games and economics in response to legislative pressure and supplier exits.
California’s decision resets the US sweeps poker map and accelerates the migration away from dual-currency mechanics. The next milestones will be operator notices and final redemption deadlines, likely announced through the autumn and early winter, ahead of the January 1, 2026 cutoff.
Could ClubWPT Gold Changes Sidestep California’s Sweeps Ban
ClubWPT Gold has preemptively restructured its platform as California’s ban on dual-currency sweepstakes games takes effect. Formerly operating with Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins — a model similar to Global Poker — the site has transitioned into a poker training platform. Players now purchase Hand Analysis (HA) credits that unlock a built-in GTO coaching tool, while also receiving “chips” used to play tournaments and ring games.
Although presented as a shift away from sweepstakes gaming, the model still uses two virtual tokens and maintains sweepstakes-style prize redemptions and free-entry methods. Industry observers see this as an effort to stay compliant with California’s AB831, which prohibits dual-currency sweepstakes systems and extends liability to affiliates and service providers. Whether ClubWPT’s rebrand will satisfy regulators remains uncertain — but its move highlights how operators are adapting as state-level scrutiny intensifies ahead of the law’s 2026 enforcement date.
