Florida AG Demands Social Media Giants Stop Advertising Sweepstakes Casinos
Attorney General James Uthmeier issued the orders in a series of letters, giving the companies until Oct. 23 to comply
Florida is taking its fight against sweepstakes casinos to social media companies that are advertising the sites, according to a series of letters written by the state’s Attorney General James Uthmeier.
The letters — which were sent to Google, Meta, Reddit, Snap, and TikTok — demand the companies stop advertising sweepstakes sites in Florida and give the companies until Oct. 23 to comply with his order.
In the letter to Google, Uthmeier notes his office filed lawsuits against a number of sweepstakes sites in August, including Stake, Chumba Casino, and LuckyLand. The state is seeking to stop these companies from doing business in Florida as well as to claw back money lost by customers.
“Through these lawsuits, my office has made it clear that Florida will not tolerate illegal gambling, and we will pursue both those who operate and those who facilitate these criminal operations,” he said in the letter.
Uthmeier asks for, in writing, the steps the social media companies will take to make sure Florida residents aren’t exposed to the ads via their platforms.
“Florida's laws and regulations strictly limit the operation and facilitation of gambling within the State,” the letter states. “The sites advertised on Google's social media platforms, including Stake and VGW's Chumba Casino, LuckyLand, and Global Poker, are not authorized to operate gambling websites or online casinos in Florida. The promotion and advertisement of such illegal gambling in Florida is similarly unlawful under Florida law. Google therefore cannot advertise these illegal ‘sweepstake’ websites on its social media platforms in Florida.”
Two complaints
Back in August, Uthmeier lobbed his first volley against the sweepstakes model, filing two complaints in Hillsborough County Circuit Court targeting Stake and VGW’s Chumba Casino, LuckyLand, and Global Poker “and the payment processors that enable them,” the AG’s office wrote in a release at the time.
“These so-called ‘sweepstakes’ and ‘social casinos’ are illegal online gambling operations,” Uthmeier said. “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. 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. They must be stopped. … Through the scheme, players would purchase packages of ‘gold coins’ that come bundled in ‘stake cash’ or ‘sweep coins.’”
The complaints are meant to trigger Florida’s gambling loss recovery statute and Florida’s deceptive and unfair trade practices act.
“Florida law strictly limits gambling and authorizes slot machines only under narrow circumstances at licensed facilities. The lawsuits seek permanent injunctions prohibiting the defendants from operating or soliciting in Florida, forfeiture and recovery of money lost by Florida consumers, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, civil penalties under FDUTPA, restitution, and attorneys’ fees,” the press release said.
Jeff Edelstein is a longtime columnist, reporter, radio host, and fantasy sports aficionado, not necessarily in that order. He lives in New Jersey with his family.
