Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has launched legal action against several major online sweepstakes casino operators, alleging that the companies are running unlawful gambling businesses while presenting their products as legal social gaming platforms.

The lawsuits, filed in Hillsborough County Circuit Court, target Stake and several platforms operated by VGW, including Chumba Casino, LuckyLand and Global Poker. The complaints also name payment processors and other entities that allegedly help facilitate the operations.

State officials contend that the companies are violating Florida gambling laws as well as the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA). According to the filings, the operators have built business models that allow users to wager through virtual currencies that can ultimately be redeemed for items of value, including cash and cryptocurrency.

Attorney General Uthmeier said the businesses are functioning as casinos despite their branding as sweepstakes or social gaming platforms.

“If it looks like a casino, takes real money like a casino, and pays out like a casino, it is a casino—and it is illegal under Florida law,” Uthmeier said according to WTSP.

The attorney general also accused the companies of using misleading promotional tactics and operating outside the state’s regulatory framework.

“These companies have been preying on Floridians, including minors and seniors, with deceptive marketing, and 24/7 access, while dodging our state’s licensing, taxation, and consumer-protection requirements,” he said.

State Challenges Dual-Currency Gaming Model

A central focus of the lawsuits is the dual-currency structure used by the targeted platforms. According to the complaints, players purchase packages of virtual currency often described as Gold Coins. Those purchases include additional credits, referred to by names such as Stake Cash or Sweeps Coins.

Florida argues that while the primary currency may be presented as having no cash value, the accompanying credits operate as wagering instruments. Users can reportedly place bets on casino-style games and later redeem winnings after meeting certain playthrough requirements.

The complaints describe the system as a mechanism designed to conceal real-money gambling activity. State prosecutors allege that the structure allows operators to offer gambling products without obtaining the licenses required under Florida law.

According to the filings, players can use the credits on games commonly associated with traditional casinos, including slot machines, blackjack, roulette and poker. The attorney general’s office maintains that the availability of these games, combined with redemption options, places the platforms within the scope of Florida’s gambling restrictions.

Lawsuits Seek Injunctions and Financial Recovery

The legal actions seek broad remedies against the companies and their business partners.

Florida is requesting permanent injunctions that would prohibit the defendants from operating within the state or soliciting Florida residents. The lawsuits also seek the recovery of consumer losses, forfeiture of funds, restitution, civil penalties and attorneys’ fees.

The attorney general’s office stated that Florida law permits slot-machine gambling only under limited circumstances and at specifically licensed facilities. Officials argue that the defendants have bypassed those requirements while generating substantial revenue from Florida users.

According to state allegations, the operators have collected hundreds of millions of dollars from Florida residents despite not being subject to the same regulatory oversight, taxation requirements and consumer protections imposed on licensed gambling venues.

The lawsuits extend beyond the casino brands themselves. State officials are also pursuing action against financial facilitators and payment-processing partners that allegedly help support the platforms’ operations.

Enforcement Effort Expands Pressure on Sweepstakes Sector

The cases represent one of the most significant legal challenges yet brought by Florida against the sweepstakes casino industry. Regulators and lawmakers in multiple jurisdictions have increasingly examined the sector, particularly the use of dual-currency systems that companies argue distinguish their products from traditional gambling.

Florida’s complaints reject that distinction and assert that the platforms are offering gambling services under a different label.

“These companies cannot hide illegal gambling behind a sweepstakes label,” Uthmeier said. “We’re seeking to recover every dollar consumers lost under Florida’s gambling recovery laws, and we will hold them accountable.”

The attorney general’s office maintains that the targeted platforms qualify as illegal gambling enterprises under Florida law. The outcome of the cases could have broader implications for operators that rely on similar business models as regulators continue to scrutinize sweepstakes-based gaming across the United States.

For now, Florida is seeking court orders that would halt the companies’ activities in the state while pursuing financial penalties and consumer restitution through the legal process.