Minnesota lets almost no gambling exist outside its 18 tribal casinos, and yet sweepstakes have outlived every attempt to stop them. The AG sent letters to 14 sites in November 2025, and a ban bill passed the Senate in April 2026, before dying in the House in May 2026. That means most brands will keep taking your Minnesota signups until things change.
We rounded up the best sweepstakes casino sites Minnesota players should be looking at, what to do if your site gets named next, and the operators already gone.
Sweepcasinos Choice
1.3M CC + Free 65 SC – 170% More on First Purchase
Welcome bonus
200,000 GC + 20 Spins
Welcome bonus
25,000 GC + 2.5 SC
Welcome bonus
100,000 GC + 2.5 SC
Welcome bonus
20,000 GC + 2 Diamonds + 2 RUM
Welcome bonus
120% Welcome Purchase Offer + 68 Free SC
Welcome bonus
120% Welcome Purchase Offer + 68 Free SC
Welcome bonus
50,000 GC + 1 SC
Welcome bonus
50,000 GC + 1 SC
Every site on this list passed our cashout, free entry, and deposit-pressure checks. The rest didn’t make it.
How We Rate
Good news first: You can still play online sweepstakes casinos from within Minnesota at most brands. The state has been pushing hard to change that, but so far, the push is more bark than bite.
Attorney General (AG) Keith Ellison kicked it off in November 2025, firing cease and desist letters at 14 sites, including VGW (the company behind Chumba and LuckyLand), Zula, and Fortune Coins. Trouble is, letters alone don’t carry much muscle. So SF 4474 came in to give them the force of law, and it nearly made it: The Senate passed it on April 30, 2026, before the House let it die in committee on May 18.
With no statute backing the AG, hardly any sites have packed up, so most major brands still take your Minnesota signup.
Below, we explain the legal situation and how it affects you as an active player.
| Are sweepstakes casinos illegal in Minnesota? | The AG says yes, but no statute confirms it. AG Keith Ellison classified sweepstakes as illegal gambling under Minnesota Statutes 609.75 and 609.755 in November 2025. The legislature tried to codify this in 2026 but failed. |
| Did Minnesota try to ban sweepstakes in 2026? | Yes, but the bill died. SF 4474 passed the Senate on April 30, 2026, then sat in the House Public Safety, Finance, and Policy Committee until the session ended May 18 without a vote. |
| What did SF 4474 propose? | It would have made sweepstakes casinos an unfair and deceptive practice under Minnesota commerce law, giving the AG explicit enforcement authority. It targeted operators, promoters, and supporters of sweepstakes games. |
| Is anyone trying to shut down sweepstakes sites? | Yes, the AG. Attorney General Keith Ellison sent cease-and-desist letters to 14 operators on November 5, 2025 (including VGW’s Chumba, LuckyLand, Global Poker; Zula Casino; Fortune Coins; and offshore sportsbooks), ordering them to exit by December 1. |
| What’s the penalty for operators? | Up to $25,000 per violation, plus injunctive relief and disgorgement of profits, under Minnesota’s existing consumer protection and gambling statutes. |
| Why hasn’t a statutory ban passed? | Minnesota’s gambling politics are dominated by tribal exclusivity. The 18 tribal casinos block most gambling expansion legislation, and even targeted ban bills face procedural delays in the House. |
| Will Minnesota try again? | Likely yes, in 2027. With AG Ellison committed to enforcement and the Senate having already passed SF 4474, another attempt is expected. The 2026 failure was a House procedural issue, not substantive opposition. |
| What else can I legally play in Minnesota? | 18 tribal casinos, the Minnesota State Lottery, charitable gaming, and parimutuel horse racing. No commercial casinos, no online casinos, no sports betting. |
| Can I sign up to a sweepstakes site in Minnesota? | Yes. Most brands still accept your signup from Minnesota. The 14 named operators have been ordered to exit. |
| Will I get in trouble as a player? | No. There’s no legal ground in Minnesota to charge a player for sweepstakes participation. The AG targets operators. |
| Could the sites I use leave Minnesota suddenly? | Yes. If the AG sends more cease-and-desist letters or if SF 4474 (or a successor bill) passes in 2027, operators could exit quickly. Watch the 2027 legislative session. |
| Will a VPN help? | No. Sites verify your location at every login and close accounts that try to mask it. |
| What if my account or balance disappears? | Limited recourse. Contact the brand you had your account with through their support page. If they don’t respond, file a complaint with the FTC. |
| Do I owe taxes on my winnings? | Yes, federal and state. Tax law treats sweepstakes winnings as taxable income. Report filed on Schedule 1; Minnesota taxes them at the state’s graduated rate (top 9.85%). |
Sweepstakes casinos that pulled out of Minnesota
Compare Minnesota’s sweepstakes rules with those of neighboring states.
Because the AG named only fourteen operators, not the whole market. Ellison’s November 2025 letters ordered those fourteen, including Chumba and Zula, to exit by December 1. Sites left off that list kept accepting Minnesota players. So the ban exists in principle but reaches only the names of the AG has actually targeted. Until a statute or more letters arrive, the unnamed sites keep running in the gap.
Because the House let it stall after the Senate moved. SF 4474 passed the Senate on April 30, 2026, clearing its hardest expected test. It then sat in the House Public Safety, Finance, and Policy Committee, with no vote scheduled. The 2026 session ended on May 18, before the committee acted. So, the ban died on a procedural stall, not on a vote against it.
Because an opinion is weaker than a statute. In November 2025, AG Keith Ellison classified sweepstakes as illegal gambling under existing law, then sent letters to fourteen operators. But that reading rests on interpretation, which an operator can challenge in court. A statute like SF 4474 would have made the ban explicit and far harder to fight. Without it, Ellison must chase sites one classification at a time, rather than lean on a clear law.
