Florida Targets VGW and Stake Over Sweepstakes Casinos
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed lawsuits against sweepstakes casino operators VGW and Stake. The state alleges that their platforms offer illegal online gambling while avoiding licensing, taxation and player protection requirements.
Both cases were filed in Hillsborough County Circuit Court on August 19, 2026. Several payment companies are also named as defendants.
The VGW complaint covers Chumba Casino, Global Poker and LuckyLand Casino. It also names payment providers Yodlee, Trustly and Worldpay. The Stake case includes company founders Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, streaming platform Kick, and payment providers Breeze Labs and Praxis Tech.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier argued:
If it looks like a casino, takes money like a casino, and pays out like a casino, it is a casino.
The lawsuits claim that the platforms’ virtual currencies work like casino chips because users can exchange money for digital coins and later redeem winnings. The state is seeking to stop the operations and recover money allegedly lost by Florida consumers.
Florida lawmakers considered SB 1580 earlier this year, which would have introduced clearer rules for unauthorised internet gambling. The bill passed both chambers in different forms but failed after the Senate did not approve the House amendments.
Uthmeier argues that existing Florida gambling laws already prohibit the sweepstakes casino model.
