ClubWPT Gold, a sweepstakes online poker platform from the World Poker Tour, is set to withdraw from two additional states this week: Connecticut and Louisiana.
On September 9, the operator suspended all Gold Coin purchases in both jurisdictions. In Connecticut, play with Sweeps Coins will officially cease on September 23, with the deadline for submitting redemptions set for September 26. In Louisiana, however, the timeline is far quicker; all redemptions must be finalized by September 14.
This latest development comes amid a period of intense regulatory pressure on the sweepstakes casino industry as a whole throughout the year. Several state legislatures have introduced bills aimed at banning sweepstakes online gaming, which typically operates under a dual-currency framework, and in some states, bans have already been signed into law.
Currently, a bill that would ban dual currency sweepstakes in California, one of the largest and most valuable markets for sweepstakes operators, passed the Senate unanimously and now has only a couple of days left to pass the Assembly before potentially making its way to the Governor’s desk.
Earlier this year, ClubWPT Gold withdrew entirely from New Jersey following the Governor’s approval of a new anti-sweepstakes law. Around the same period, the operator also executed a partial withdrawal from New York. While ClubWPT Gold had been active in roughly 45 states just a short time ago, its reach has now been reduced to closer to 40 jurisdictions.
It is not just ClubWPT Gold being forced out of markets. Other sweepstakes poker operators, including Clubs Poker, Global Poker, and Stake.US, have also recently scaled back their presence due to mounting legal and regulatory scrutiny.
- Generous Welcome Offer
- Daily freerolls & free SC offers
- Hold’em, Omaha and Mixed Games
End of Gold Coins
Faced with this tightening environment, ClubWPT Gold appears to be shifting the direction of its business model.
Like all sweepstakes platforms, ClubWPT Gold is structured around a dual-currency system to remain in line with sweepstakes law. Players purchase Gold Coins, a currency that holds no monetary value, and with each purchase, they receive free Sweeps Coins. These Sweeps Coins can then be used in sweepstakes games, where prizes may ultimately be redeemed for real cash.
However, this very dual-currency setup has become a flashpoint for regulators and lawmakers, drawing considerable attention and criticism over the past year.
In response, ClubWPT Gold has announced that beginning September 17, it will completely phase out its free-play currency, Gold Coins. In place of this system, the company has promised to introduce what it is calling a “game-changing new feature.” While the details have not yet been disclosed, ClubWPT Gold has stated that further information will be shared soon.
An FAQ recently posted on the operator’s player support states that is “removing Gold Coins from the site and discontinuing GC ring games and tournaments on September 17.”
“While we’re removing the Gold Coins, we’re adding a game-changing new feature to ClubWPT Gold. Stay tuned for more about that,” the message further stated.
The operator further clarified that players should make sure to use any remaining Gold Coins before the deadline. Although Gold Coin play will no longer exist, ClubWPT Gold has promised to continue offering free-play opportunities through “daily rewards freerolls.”
Importantly, Sweeps Coins (SC), the currency that allows players to redeem winnings for real money, will remain unaffected.
“There will be no changes to Sweeps Coins at this time and your Sweeps Coin balance will remain the same,” the operator assured its players.
Future Path for ClubWPT Gold?
How ClubWPT Gold intends to function without its sweepstakes-style dual-currency system is still unclear. One option could be shifting to the classic subscription sweepstakes model, where players pay a monthly fee to unlock VIP tables and tournaments.
Yet WPT already runs such a platform, the original ClubWPT, which has been in operation for over fifteen years. Duplicating that format would raise questions about why ClubWPT Gold exists separately at all.
Another possible path is the “Texas Card Club” model, used by Hijack Poker, which offers pure real-money poker online. The legal argument is that it serves as an online extension of Texas’s physical card rooms.
There’s no rake; instead, the site charges an hourly fee (every six minutes) and is available to all club members. Deposits can be made via credit card, crypto, or at the cage of one of six retail clubs, while withdrawals are limited to Bitcoin or in-person cashouts.
ClubWPT Gold’s ties make this model noteworthy. Doug Polk, the site’s ambassador who has helped elevate the brand, co-owns the Lodge Poker Club in Texas, which now operates two venues in Austin and San Antonio. The Lodge has strong links with WPT, even hosting a $2 million WPT Prime festival at the end of the month. WPT also recently acquired Polk’s training platform, Upswing Poker.
The Lodge directly competes with Texas Card House (TCH), which runs six venues and appears to own Hijack Poker, formerly branded TCH Social. These clubs also support deposits and withdrawals for Hijack users, giving it a strong retail tie-in.
Still, this model comes with hurdles. Hijack seems to be members-only, requiring a subscription, and is limited to Texas, though the enforcement of this restriction is unclear. It also remains legally untested, with Hijack flying largely under the radar. If ClubWPT Gold were to adopt this framework, it would immediately face much greater scrutiny.
Another possibility is that ClubWPT Gold could try to leverage its recently acquired Upswing Poker training platform as the foundation for a new model. The site has already outlined a system where players receive bonus Sweeps Coins whenever they purchase courses. For example, a $999 course would come with 50 SC, while Lab subscriptions would award 10 SC for monthly plans, 40 SC for six-month plans, and 70 SC for annual plans, with bonuses continuing at every renewal as long as users stay subscribed.
Still, this approach appears impractical. Basing the entire Sweeps Coin ecosystem on course purchases would quickly drain liquidity and make the model unsustainable. One workaround could be to let players buy courses, essentially replacing Gold Coin purchases, and award equivalent Sweeps Coins in return. Yet, while technically feasible, this scenario seems the least likely.
There are also rumors that ClubWPT Gold plans to expand into the Canadian market this fall, where sweepstakes face far less scrutiny than in the US, raising questions about how its new model will shape those operations.
That said, whichever model ClubWPT Gold ultimately adopts will be worth watching closely, especially to see if other sweepstakes operators decide to follow its lead.
