Florida Targets Google, Meta and TikTok over Sweepstakes Casino Ads

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has targeted five major technology platforms over advertising for sweepstakes casinos. Google, Meta, Reddit, Snap and TikTok have until Oct. 23 to explain what steps they have taken to keep the ads from reaching Florida residents.

The letters expand Florida’s enforcement effort beyond sweepstakes operators and payment processors to the companies carrying their advertising. Uthmeier’s office alleges that platforms including Stake and VGW brands Chumba Casino, LuckyLand and Global Poker constitute unauthorized gambling operations in Florida.

The move follows lawsuits filed against Stake and VGW in August. Those cases also name payment processors accused of facilitating transactions connected to the platforms.

Florida Gives Tech Platforms Oct. 23 Deadline

Uthmeier said he sent letters to Google, Meta, Reddit, Snap and TikTok after learning that the companies may be carrying advertising for sweepstakes casino sites. The companies have until Oct. 23 to provide written confirmation of the measures they have taken to prevent the ads from reaching Florida residents.

The attorney general’s position that the underlying platforms constitute illegal gambling remains an allegation being pursued through litigation, rather than a final court determination. The letters similarly do not resolve the legality of the sweepstakes casino model.

Uthmeier wrote that Florida intends to pursue businesses it believes operate or facilitate unauthorized gambling.

“Through these lawsuits, my office has made it clear that Florida will not tolerate illegal gambling, and we will pursue both those who operate and those who facilitate these criminal operations.”

James Uthmeier
Florida Attorney General

Sweepstakes Casino Model Remains at Center of Dispute

The August lawsuits focus on the dual-currency system used by many sweepstakes casinos. Customers typically obtain a play-only currency such as Gold Coins, while a second currency, often described as Sweeps Coins or Stake Cash, can be used in casino-style games and may ultimately be redeemed for prizes.

Sweepstakes operators have argued that the model is structured as promotional gaming rather than conventional real-money gambling, including by making the redeemable currency available without requiring a purchase. Florida alleges that the system instead disguises wagering for something of value and violates existing gambling and consumer-protection laws.

The state is seeking injunctions against the operators named in its lawsuits along with restitution, civil penalties and other financial relief. The cases remain pending, and the allegations have not been established as violations through a final judgment.

Florida Has Not Passed a Specific Sweeps Ban

The enforcement push comes after Florida lawmakers considered broader gambling legislation without enacting a statute specifically banning the dual-currency sweepstakes model. House Bill 591, which included provisions addressing internet gambling and gambling advertising, died in committee in March.

A separate illegal-gaming proposal, Senate Bill 1580, also failed to become law after dying in returning messages at the end of the 2026 legislative session. Uthmeier’s current cases therefore rely on existing Florida gambling and consumer-protection law rather than a newly enacted sweepstakes-specific prohibition.

The next immediate step is the Oct. 23 response deadline. How Google, Meta, Reddit, Snap and TikTok respond could determine whether Florida’s campaign remains focused on sweepstakes operators and payment providers or develops into a broader dispute involving the advertising platforms used to reach customers.

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