Sweepstakes Casinos in California

Can You Play Sweepstakes Casinos in California Right Now?

Assembly Bill 831 was approved by the Governor on October 11, 2025 and filed with the Secretary of State the same day as Chapter 623 of the Statutes of 2025. It added section 337o to the California Penal Code. The bill has no urgency clause, so under Article IV, Section 8 of the California Constitution it went into effect on January 1, 2026.

Under that section, it is unlawful for any person or entity to operate, conduct or offer an online sweepstakes game in California. This is a summary of the bill text, not legal advice. Read the official text of AB 831 and its bill history on the California Legislature's site for the exact wording.

We are not lawyers and this page is not legal advice. If you are unsure how the law applies to you, ask a California attorney.

What the Law Covers

The bill defines an “online sweepstakes game” as a game, contest or promotion that meets all of these conditions:

• It is available on the internet or on a phone, computer or similar device.
• It uses a dual-currency system of payment, where a coin, token or similar value can be bought or received through a bonus or promotion and used to play, and a player may become eligible for a prize, cash or cash equivalents.
• It simulates gambling, including slot machines, video poker, table games such as blackjack, roulette, craps and poker, lotteries, bingo and sports wagering.
• It awards cash or cash equivalents.

The bill also makes it unlawful for an entity, financial institution, payment processor, geolocation provider, gaming content supplier, platform provider or media affiliate to knowingly and willfully support, directly or indirectly, the operation, conduct or promotion of an online sweepstakes game in the state. According to the bill text, a violation is a misdemeanor with a fine of $1,000 to $25,000, up to one year in county jail, or both.

The bill says it does not make unlawful the games of a gambling enterprise licensed under the Gambling Control Act or the operations of the California State Lottery. It also does not make unlawful limited and occasional promotions run by businesses as advertising, when they are incidental to substantial sales of products or services and are not meant to set up ongoing gambling.

What Our Data Shows

We track 100 active sweepstakes casinos and record the states each one accepts players from. Based on those state lists:

• 3 list California among the states they accept.
• 97 have a state list that leaves California out.

We do not recommend any sweepstakes casino to California players. Check each site's own terms and contact its support before you sign up.

What Changes for Players

• The prohibition is aimed at operators and their supporters. The bill text applies to people and companies that operate, conduct, offer or knowingly support online sweepstakes games, including payment and platform providers.
• The bill does not cover what happens to your account. The text says nothing about closed accounts or existing coin balances, so we cannot tell you how a given site handles them.
• Check each site's own terms and contact its support. If you have an account or a balance, the site's terms and support team are the place to ask what happens next.
• Playing from a state a site excludes breaks that site's terms. Always use accurate location and identity details.
• Games that do not award cash or cash equivalents are treated differently. The bill says its changes to the contest and sweepstakes rules do not make a game that does not award cash prizes or cash equivalents unlawful.

Where Sweepstakes Casinos Are Still Available

Rules differ by state and each site sets its own list of excluded states. Our sweepstakes casinos by state page shows which sites accept players in every state we track, and the list of sweepstakes casinos shows each site's age, daily bonus and number of accepted states. If you are visiting or moving to another state, check that state's page before you sign up.