Sweepstakes online poker is extremely popular, especially in states without regulated real money online poker.
Most states have sweepstakes poker, which operate legally under sweepstakes law. But there are a handful of states that operators avoid because local authorities — state AGs and gaming regulators in particular — seem intent to restrict sweepstakes casino games including poker.
The reasons why some states have taken a prohibitive approach to sweepstakes vary, but it’s often because authorities want to accomplish one or more of the following:
- Eliminate competition from state-regulated gaming
- Protect charitable gaming entities
- Shut down sites for being unregulated or untaxed
- Shield the public from what they perceive as illegal gaming
This scattergun approach to regulating sweepstakes poker has created a confusing landscape for the five biggest sites in the US to navigate — Clubs Poker, ClubWPT, Global Poker, ClubGG, and Stake.us Poker. Pokerfuse recommends Clubs Poker.
Sweepstakes Online Poker Legal in Most States
Sweepstakes online poker is legal in most US states — the five main US sweepstakes poker sites operate openly and with no issues from authorities in most states.
But there are a total of 17 states where at least one of the five sites aren’t available to players.
All avoid two states, Michigan and Washington, but for different reasons. Washington has long maintained that sweepstakes constitutes a form of gambling not authorized under state law, while Michigan began to drive sweepstakes sites from the state in September 2023, ostensibly for all four of the reasons mentioned earlier.
Nine states have more than one sweepstakes poker operator.
That leaves six states where one operator, for whatever reason, does not accept players.
Two New Sites Avoided Some States Altogether
ClubWPT is a sweepstakes poker site, but it’s also a subscription-based site, meaning players must pay a monthly membership fee in order to play at tables where prizes can be redeemed for real money.
It’s the only one of the five main US sweepstakes poker sites that’s available in all six states where at least one of its rivals are not operational.
One rival is ClubGG, which is the subscription-based site run by GGPoker. ClubGG is not available in Hawaii but its four rivals are. Earlier this month, GGPoker pulled ClubGG out of Michigan.
Stake.us Poker launched earlier this year but avoided seven states. In three of those cases — Kentucky, New York, and Vermont — the platform stood out for being the only one of its peers not to have operations there.
Another operator that launched this year was Clubs Poker. But after initially launching in 45 states, Clubs Poker has since decided to stop accepting players from Louisiana — making the platform unique among its peers.
It’s unclear if Clubs Poker was asked to leave Louisiana by state authorities or if the operator left as a precaution. Sometimes states issues cease-and-desist letters to operators, just as Connecticut did last February to VGW, the parent company of Global Poker. VGW has since left the state.
Six States Where One Sweepstakes Poker Site is Missing
| State | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | |||||
| Hawaii | |||||
| Kentucky | |||||
| Louisiana | |||||
| New York | |||||
| Vermont |
Note: As of October 28, 2024.
