Florida Attorney General Sues Global Poker Owner VGW Over Sweepstakes Gambling

Florida flag behind a judge’s gavel, poker chips, and smartphone representing the lawsuit against Global Poker owner VGW.

By Sandra Gaweda. Published August 25, 2026. Approximately a 6 minute read.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed two lawsuits on August 19, 2026, targeting sweepstakes gambling operators he calls illegal online casinos.
One suit targets VGW, the owner of Global Poker, Chumba Casino, and LuckyLand; the other targets Stake.
Both suits allege violations of Florida’s gambling statutes and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA).
The state seeks injunctions, disgorgement of profits, restitution, and civil penalties of up to $15,000 per violation involving a minor, senior, or consumer with a disability.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed two lawsuits on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, alleging that sweepstakes-style gambling platforms operate as illegal, unlicensed online casinos disguised as free-to-play games. The complaints, filed in Hillsborough County Circuit Court, name VGW and Stake separately, along with their payment processors. VGW owns Global Poker, alongside Chumba Casino and LuckyLand. Both suits allege violations of Florida’s gambling statutes and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA). The state wants the operators barred from Florida, plus disgorgement of profits, restitution, and civil penalties that climb higher when the affected consumer is a minor, senior, or person with a disability.

What Florida Alleged Against the Sweepstakes Operators

The complaints were filed in the 13th Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County. One targets VGW and its payment processors Yodlee, Trustly, and Worldpay Holdco. The other targets Stake, its Stake.us platform, individuals Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, and payment processors Praxis Tech Ltd. and Breeze Labs Payments Inc.

VGW and Stake are unrelated companies, so Uthmeier sued them separately. In his announcement, he framed the operators as gambling businesses hiding behind a social-gaming label.

“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.

How Global Poker’s Dual-Currency Model Works

The core legal theory targets the dual-currency system. The state argues it is a pretext for real-money gambling, and that the “free-to-play” and “social” framing exists to evade licensing, taxation, and regulatory oversight.

Global Poker gives players Gold Coins, a play-money currency, for free on signup. Players can also get Gold Coins through daily rewards, real-money purchases, or by winning at the tables. A separate currency, Sweeps Coins, is used at separate tables and can be converted into cash and prizes after meeting playthrough requirements.

VGW offers Sweeps Coins for free through several methods, but players can also receive them as a “bonus” when purchasing Gold Coins. The VGW complaint puts it directly: “Sweeps Coins are a proxy for real money. Depending on the package bought, there is either a 1:1, or nearly 1:1, correlation between the number of dollars spent and the value of Sweeps Coins provided in each purchase.”

The Money and Marketing Behind the Platforms

The complaints cite large revenue figures, alleging that VGW’s platforms generated more than $5 billion in revenue in 2025, with $3.7 billion of that from Chumba Casino alone. Citing a Forbes profile, the Stake complaint states that Stake generated $4.7 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2024.

The suits also point to celebrity marketing. They cite Ryan Seacrest promoting Chumba, Michael Phelps promoting Global Poker, and rapper Drake promoting Stake.

The relief sought is broad. Florida is seeking permanent injunctions barring the companies from operating in the state, disgorgement of profits, restitution to consumers, and forfeiture of wagered amounts under Florida’s gambling loss recovery statute. It also seeks civil penalties of up to $10,000 per willful violation, rising to $15,000 per violation involving a minor, a senior, or a consumer with a disability.

A Nationwide Crackdown on Sweepstakes Casinos

Florida’s action fits a broader pattern. States across the U.S. have increasingly targeted sweepstakes casino operators through cease-and-desist orders, new legislation, and restrictions on the dual-currency model. California is one recent example: Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 831, banning sweepstakes casinos statewide effective January 1, 2026, according to Legal Sports Report. You can read how that ban affects players in our California poker laws guide.

Florida’s path is different in one respect. Its legislature did not enact a dedicated sweepstakes casino prohibition this year, so the lawsuits rely on existing gambling and consumer-protection laws rather than a new statute. Players who want to understand their current options can review our Florida online poker guide, and compare rules elsewhere through our state-by-state poker legislation guide.

Regulatory pressure has already pushed some sweepstakes operators out of individual states. ClubWPT Gold exited the Arizona online poker market after the Arizona Department of Gaming issued cease-and-desist letters to five operators in July 2026.

What This Means

If you play on sweepstakes sites like Global Poker, this lawsuit is worth watching. A court ruling could change whether those platforms remain available to Florida residents. Sweepstakes poker sits in a different legal category than state-regulated online poker and offshore sites. Florida’s case tests where that line falls. Nothing here has been decided yet, and the operators have not been found liable. We will keep tracking the case and update our state guides as it moves through the courts, so you can make informed, confident decisions about where and how you play.

Sandra is a content writer and editor specializing in online poker and iGaming. She covers poker sites, game formats, industry news, and US online poker laws for Legal US Poker Sites.