Five more sweepstakes casinos are joining High 5 Casino and Stake.us in making recent moves to end sweeps operations in Maryland and West Virginia — Hello Millions, Jackpota, McLuck, Mega Bonanza, and Spree.
Hello Millions, Jackpota, McLuck, Mega Bonanza, And Spree Are Exiting Maryland And West Virginia
McLuck and Hello Millions have both added West Virginia and Maryland to lists of prohibited states in their terms and conditions, while Jackpota, Spree, and Mega Bonanza have all pulled out of the Old Line State.
Jackpota, Mega Bonanza, and Spree are all still active in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Hello Millions and McLuck are also still available in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
In Maryland, Senator Paul Corderman’s SB 860 would ban sweepstakes casinos, defined in the bill’s text as an online platform that uses a dual-currency system of free money and real money and resembles online casino-style or lottery-style gaming.
Corderman’s bill would criminalize both online sweeps operators and suppliers who offer services to those sites. SB 860 is currently slated for a committee hearing on March 5.
SB 860 was filed after Maryland’s gaming regulator sent multiple cease-and-desist letters to illegal online gambling operators, including companies that offer sweepstakes products.
West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey Issued Subpoenas To Sweepstakes Casinos Operators
Meanwhile, in West Virginia, Attorney General JB McCuskey reportedly issued subpoenas to a group of sweepstakes operators. It’s unclear whether McLuck and Hello Millions were included in the subpoenas.
On Feb. 18, High 5 Casino stopped accepting new accounts or purchases from those residing in these six states with regulated iGaming — Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
Two days later, Stake.us followed suit, with adding Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia to its prohibited list. A customer service representative said Connecticut would be added soon.
Earlier this month, the Mississippi Senate became the first state legislative body to approve a full ban on online sweeps, while in New Jersey, lawmakers proposed regulating them in a similar fashion to online casino and sports betting.