LuckyLand Slots Leaving US Market, Though Luckyland Casino Remains
Doors close for major VGW sweepstakes site Sept. 14 after eight years of operation
Amid a worsening landscape for sweepstakes-style casino gaming in the U.S., with six states having passed anti-sweeps legislation this year, one of the most recognizable names in the vertical, LuckyLand Slots, has informed customers that it will soon be shuttering.
“For the last eight years, LuckyLand Slots has been proud to be your go-to online social casino. We've loved sharing every milestone with you and we're grateful for the incredible community we've built together,” read the announcement posted recently on the casino’s website. “Today, we're sharing the news that LuckyLand Slots will be permanently closing its doors on September 14, 2026.”
Before that Sept. 14 closure, one other key upcoming date is Aug. 24, at which point games will no longer be available for play. From there, players will have three weeks to redeem all Sweeps Coins for prizes — and after Sept. 14, all unredeemed currency will be lost.
LuckyLand Slots launched in 2018, and at its peak, the site was available in 44 states. Parent company Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) also operates Chumba Casino, Global Poker, and LuckyLand Casino, among other social/sweeps sites, and it says nothing will change with any of those other brands. LuckyLand Casino launched early this year, and it would now appear it was intended as a replacement and that the closure of LuckyLand Slots has been in the works for a while.
The sweepstakes model
Sweepstakes casinos like LuckyLand Slots operate on a dual-currency system, where Gold Coins can be used purely for entertainment and Sweeps Coins can be converted to real money or prizes. Players can obtain Gold Coins for free or purchase them, with Sweeps Coins typically issued as a bonus alongside Gold Coin purchases — allowing the sites to exist in a legally ambiguous area because it’s possible to spend real money and withdraw real money without directly connecting the two.
But this dual-currency set-up has met with resistance in numerous states, several of which now have laws on the books outlawing the sweeps model.
VGW has also been in the news this year for the legal troubles of its founder, Laurence Escalante.
Escalante resigned as CEO in July while facing charges of aggravated assault, domestic violence, destruction of property, and possession of illegal substances with intent to sell or supply. VGW appointed Mats Johnson as temporary acting CEO when Escalante stepped down.
VGW’s Chumba Casino is the leading U.S. sweepstakes gambling site by revenue.
Eric has been a professional editor and writer for more than 25 years, including nearly 20 years of experience covering the gambling industry. He was editor-in-chief of the poker magazine All In from 2005-2015 and manag…
