Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) Holdings has raised its minimum player age requirement from 18 to 21 for its sweepstakes sites. The policy change, which takes effect on Feb. 19, is being implemented to advance responsible gaming measures amid mounting regulatory pressure in several U.S. states.
No Players Under 21 Can Access VGW Sites Beginning April 17
VGW’s decision will be implemented in three key phases, gradually restricting access for players under 21. Since Feb. 12, players under 21 have been no longer able to purchase Gold Coin packages but were allowed to continue playing with any remaining in-game currency.
In other words, under-21 players were only able to redeem their coins via the VGW sites. And finally, effective April 17, users under 21 will not be able to access the sites.
This gradual transition ensures that affected players have time to withdraw their funds and close their accounts before full restrictions come into place in April.
State Legislatures Are Cracking Down On Sweepstakes Casinos
Feedback from players within the sweepstakes community has been generally positive, with many saying this change has been long overdue. VGW is trying to distance itself from unregulated gambling operators.
This move comes at a critical time for the sweepstakes gaming sector, as legislative efforts to ban or regulate sweepstakes casinos is picking up steam across multiple U.S. states.
Lawmakers in states like Connecticut, Maryland, and Mississippi are actively considering bills to ban sweepstakes gaming while New York’s pending online casino legislation could drive such operators out of the market.
VGW’s move marks the first time a large sweepstakes gaming operator has decided to raise the minimum age limit of players, a move that may create a precedent for other businesses in the industry.
VGW Is Aware Of Problem Gambling Growth Among Adolescents
Raising the minimum age limit gives VGW more credibility for several reasons — one in particular pertains to the recent growth in problem gambling cases among adolescent bettors.
In a July 2024 study published in The Lancet Public Health, a group of researchers documented the prevalence of any gambling activity, specific gambling activities, risk gambling, and problematic gambling among adults and adolescents globally.
The study estimated that 46.2% of adults globally engaged in gambling in the past 12 months, equating to approximately 2.3 billion adults. Men (49.1%) had higher rates than women (37.4%).
Australasia had the highest prevalence (70%), while Latin America had the lowest (31.7%). Among adults, 8.7% engaged in any risk gambling. The highest rate was in North America (13.8%) as well.
Problematic gambling was estimated at 1.4%, or 71.7 million people, with the highest rates in North America (1.6%). For adolescents, 17.9% had gambled in the past 12 months.
North America Had The Highest Estimates For Any Risk Gambling, Problematic Gambling In The Study
Higher rates were found in North America (33.7%) and lower in Australasia (9.4%). North America had the highest estimates for any risk gambling (27.8%) and problematic gambling (10.4%).
Searches were performed on June 21, 2021, and updated on March 4, 2024. Experts used Excerpta Medica Database (Embase), and Psychological Information Database (PsycInfo databases), and Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE).
Non-original research, clinical trials, case-control studies, and studies with fewer than 40 participants were excluded. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist.
The systematic review identified 3,692 papers published since 2010. Of these, 580 reports met the inclusion criteria, with 380 unique representative samples from 68 countries. The study encompassed 3,441,720 individuals.