Florida AG asks Google, Meta and others to switch off ads for sweepstakes casinos

• Florida’s AG has stepped up efforts to restrict sweepstakes casinos in the state
• AG Uthmeier has urged tech and social media giants to comply by October 23, 2026, with his office's request
• Uthmeier wants to see all social media ads featuring social sweepstakes casinos gone

The Florida Attorney General, James Uthmeier, has sent a letter to social media giants, including Google, Meta, Reddit, Snap and TikTok, urging the companies to shutter advertising for online sweepstakes casinos in the state.

The companies have now been given a deadline of October 23, 2026, to comply with the order or potentially face further legal consequences. The AG used the letter to remind the social media companies that online sweepstakes casinos, including Stake and VGW’s Chumba Casino, LuckyLand, and Global Poker, have all been targeted in lawsuits on August 19, 2026.

Florida AG determined to have sweepstakes ads turned off in Florida

The lawsuits seek to restore money to players who have already gambled and lost with the sweepstakes websites, while also halting these operators’ business in the state of Florida. The lawsuits also targeted the payment processors that enable the processing of transactions to and from the social sweepstakes websites.

The lawsuits seek permanent injunctions prohibiting the defendants "from operating or soliciting in Florida, forfeiture and recovery of money lost by Florida consumers, and disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, as well as civil penalties, restitution, and attorneys’ fees."

Addressing the tech and social media companies, AG Uthmeier further elaborated why he had taken the action against the sweepstakes operators, arguing that the companies targeted were "designed to disguise real-money gambling." He called the defendants’ payment model a "scheme" where they use "Gold Coins" and "Stake Cash" or "Sweeps Coins."

The latter, he noted, were redeemable wagering credits that could be cashed out for cryptocurrency, gift cards, or even cash after a "minimal" playthrough requirement had been met. These platforms, pursued AG Uthmeier, offered games of chance, such as slots, blackjack, and poker, while marketing themselves as "free, social, legal, and safe," he noted.

Under the guise of "legal, safe" gambling

AG Uthmeier further said that the platforms had been preying on Floridians, amongst whom were minors and seniors, through deceptive marketing, 24/7 access, and dodging state licensing, taxation, and consumer-protection mandates. As such, social media ads promoting these operators had to go, the AG noted in his letter, saying:

"Florida law strictly limits gambling and authorizes slot machines only under narrow circumstances at licensed facilities. The lawsuits seek permanent injunctions prohibiting the defendants from operating or soliciting in Florida, forfeiture and recovery of money lost by Florida consumers, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, civil penalties under FDUTPA, restitution, and attorneys’ fees.

The tech companies will now have until late in October to respond to the AG’s demands in writing as to whether they have complied with Uthmeier’s office.

Image credit: Unsplash.com