New York’s iGaming Advocate Wants Answers on Sweepstakes Casinos
Jerard V. • Last updated on 11 February 2025
A recent press release from the New York Senate reveals Sen. Joseph Addabbo’s plan to address sweepstakes gaming in New York. The senator made his plans known in a podcast session on New York State gaming, addressing an existing loophole for online sweepstakes casino operators that appeal to individuals, especially older teens and young adults.
Sen. Addabbo has been known to be a pro-iGaming advocate over the past few years. Going as far as pushing an online casino legalization bill in 2024 even though the bill never went through. The New York legislature has a majority of senators bearing a tough stance against online casinos. Sen. Addabbo is now reintroducing the same bill he pushed last year, only this time he has a plan to deal with sweepstakes casinos, which has been a controversial topic in recent months.
New York legalized online sports betting in January 2022, influencing NY senators like Addabbo and Gary Pretlow to try and get real-money online casino games to the accepted gambling products in the state. Currently, sweep casinos like WOW Vegas and Chumba Casino operate legally in New York, but Addabbo was quick to note that though these sweep casinos are considered legal, they aren’t licensed by an in-state regulatory body.
The lack of regulation for sweep casinos has led to some sites accepting users from 18 and above as opposed to a minimum of 21 years stated in the gambling act. The only exception to the age limit that allows age 18 and above is tribal casino gambling centers.
New York Senator Addabbo to address unregulated casinos in New York
Speaking on the podcast, New York Sentaor Addabbo said his number one priority as gaming chair is to make sure New Yorkers are safe from gambling operations that have the potential to be problematic without proper legislative intervention, such as unregulated sweepstakes casino operators.
The senator explained that many of the operators of these sweepstakes casino games were domiciled in offshore locations beyond the legal reach of the state. Addabbo mentioned his interest in the regulation of sweep casinos targeting the youth and the elderly as the most vulnerable parts of the population. Commenting on the operational model of sweepstake casinos, Addabbo added that as long as users currently pay to receive virtual coins to win more coins redeemable for cash prizes, sweep casinos are simply gambling products that must safely be regulated.
What’s the Plan:
The senator seeks to address the casinos’ unregulated nature through either a complete ban from the state or total regulation using templates from Michigan, Idaho, and Washington. The senator has made safe iGaming his top priority in a bid to prove he is keen on protecting New Yorkers from gaming addiction while also reaping alternative tax revenue sources for the state.
Addabbo also pointed out that an online gaming environment not set up to capture all varieties of gambling products would see many being preyed upon by fraudulent sweep casinos. During the close of the podcast, the senator asked the New York Senate to take a second look at the benefits from the iGaming industry and work on regulating sweepstake casinos in the state.
Sources:
- SBC Americas. (2025, January 22). Addabbo keen to legalize online casinos, limit sweeps in NY. https://sbcamericas.com/2025/01/22/ny-online-casino-lottery-bill-2025/
- Yogonet. (2025, January 27). New York moves forward with online gambling push driven by growing competition with New Jersey. https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/01/27/93170-new-york-moves-forward-with-online-gambling-push-driven-by-growing-competition-with-new-jersey
