Sweepstakes brands pull out of Oklahoma ahead of Nov. 1 ban

Sweepstakes casino operators spent October winding down their Oklahoma business as the state's dual-currency ban drew near. Covers reported on Oct. 15 that Stake.us would stop offering games to Oklahoma players after Oct. 30 but would still let them redeem sweepstakes coins, and that Modo had stopped selling packages containing sweepstakes coins and told users to play through or redeem their balances by Nov. 1.

Other operators have posted their own deadlines. B-Two Operations, which runs McLuck, Hello Millions, SpinBlitz and PlayFame, added language to its terms saying it will no longer operate in Oklahoma from Nov. 1, Sweepsy reported. According to the same outlet, High 5 Casino closed new registrations and purchases in the state on Oct. 15 and planned to cut off access on Oct. 29, Baba Casino ended Sweeps Coins play there on Oct. 21 while keeping Gold Coin games, and ACE Casino had already withdrawn.

Not every brand is leaving outright. Modo intends to keep serving Oklahoma with Gold Coin-only games, which fall outside the law because no prize-redeemable currency is involved. Operators that want to remain must strip out sweepstakes coins or stop serving the state.

SB 1589 became law on May 14 when legislators overrode Gov. Kevin Stitt's veto. It makes running a dual-currency sweepstakes casino a felony and extends liability to suppliers, affiliates and other businesses that support such sites, while exempting tribal gaming conducted under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Covers noted that the measure followed opposition to sweepstakes casinos from Oklahoma's tribes.

Any operator still offering redeemable sweepstakes play to Oklahoma residents after Oct. 31 would face the same legal exposure as the brands that have announced exits.