Illinois Gaming Board sends 65 cease-and-desist letters to sweepstakes operators

The Illinois Gaming Board, working with Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office, announced on Feb. 5 that it had sent 65 cease-and-desist letters to companies it says are running illegal online casino and sweepstakes platforms in Illinois.

Each recipient was told to either block Illinois residents from its site or stop offering prizes to users in the state, and the board warned that noncompliance could bring civil or criminal penalties. NEXT.io reported that the list included VGW (Chumba Casino and LuckyLand Slots), Global Poker, Stake.us, Pulsz, Modo, Fliff, Funrize and Fortune Coins.

The board's position is that offering internet games of chance that award money or other items of value violates the Illinois Criminal Code, since gambling in the state is limited to licensed casinos, racetracks with organization gaming licenses, sportsbooks and video gaming licensees. Raoul said gambling in Illinois "must be properly licensed and regulated."

The letters followed an earlier round in February 2025 aimed at offshore sports betting and fantasy sites, and the board said it could take operators that ignore its warnings to court.