EnforcementAnnounced
Florida AG tells Google, Meta, TikTok, Snap and Reddit to stop sweepstakes casino ads
Attorney General James Uthmeier told five tech platforms that ads for Stake and VGW's sweepstakes brands are unlawful in Florida and gave them until Oct. 23 to explain in writing how they will keep such ads away from residents.
- Agency
- Florida Attorney General
- Recipients
- Google, Meta, Reddit, Snap, TikTok
- Brands named
- Stake, Chumba Casino, LuckyLand, Global Poker
- Letters dated
- Sept. 24, 2026
- Response deadline
- Oct. 23, 2026
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has widened his campaign against sweepstakes casinos to the companies that carry their advertising. In letters dated Sept. 24, he told Google, Meta, Reddit, Snap and TikTok that they may be showing Florida residents ads for gambling sites that are not authorized to operate in the state.
The letters single out Stake and three VGW brands: Chumba Casino, LuckyLand and Global Poker. Each company was asked to confirm by Oct. 23 that it had stopped promoting those sites to Floridians and to describe in writing what it will do to keep similar ads from reaching the state.
Uthmeier's view is that promoting unauthorized gambling is itself illegal in Florida. His letter to Google said the company "cannot advertise these illegal 'sweepstake' websites," and he warned that his office will pursue businesses that facilitate the sites, not only the operators.
The letters build on two lawsuits his office filed in August in Hillsborough County Circuit Court against Stake, VGW and payment processors that handle their transactions. Florida's Legislature has not passed a law that explicitly bans the dual-currency model, so the attorney general is relying on existing gambling and consumer protection statutes.
What it means for players
- Florida users may see fewer sweepstakes casino ads on major platforms if the companies comply.
- The letters do not close any accounts; the separate lawsuits are what could bar the named operators.
- Florida's attorney general treats Stake.us and VGW's sites as illegal gambling, even without a dedicated statute.
Sources
This summary is for information only and isn't legal advice. Laws and operator policies change; check the primary sources above and each casino's current sweepstakes rules.