Pennsylvania Latest State Seeing Effort To Ban Sweepstakes Gaming
Skill games getting most of the attention, but HB 2801 also seeks to make sweeps ‘unlawful’
When Pennsylvania state Rep. Russ Diamond, the minority chairman of the House Gaming Oversight Committee, introduced a pair of bills in late September focused on the regulation and taxation of various games with slot-like appearances or mechanics, Diamond put an emphasis on the legality of so-called “skill games.” As Diamond explained, there was urgency to that aspect of the bill, as Pennsylvania State Police will be authorized to seize such games beginning this Wednesday.
But HB 2801 addresses other forms of gambling as well, and one aspect that hasn’t gotten as much attention is a section banning online games with sweepstakes-style prizing.
Pennsylvania is one of the largest regulated gaming states that hasn’t yet advanced legislation to ban sweepstakes gaming (or “Social Plus,” as supporters prefer it be called) — a popular practice across the nation the last couple of years.
But that may be poised to change, thanks to Section 27 of HB2801, which amends an existing law to include the words, “Sweepstakes games prohibited.”
The language spells out that “It shall be unlawful for a person or entity to operate, conduct or promote online sweepstakes games within this Commonwealth.” Also, it declares, “It shall be unlawful for a person or entity to take action to support or assist in the administration, operation, conduct or promotion of online sweepstakes games within this Commonwealth.”
Additional details, additional states
The bill lays out the penalties for violations, including fines from $50,000 to $500,000 and loss of gaming licenses.
Like most sweeps-ban bills, the language proceeds to define such games as those using a “dual currency” model, whereby real money is technically exchanged for site credit without real-world value, but also provides access to site coins that do function like real money.
HB 2801 also gives authority to both the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) and the state attorney general to conduct investigations and hearings and issue cease-and-desist orders to anyone perceived to be operating sweepstakes games in violation of the law.
Notably, the bill protects true social gaming for play money with the line, “The term does not include a game which does not award cash prizes or cash equivalents.”
The deadline for action on Diamond’s proposal is Nov. 30, the end of Pennsylvania’s legislative session. Even though sweepstakes gaming is not illegal in Pennsylvania at present, the PGCB has issued cease-and-desist letters to sweeps operators in the recent past.
Pennsylvania is not the only state where a new ban on sweeps has been proposed.
Wyoming’s Select Committee on Gaming has drafted but not yet introduced a Senate bill to render “Online casinos and sweepstakes prohibited,” with the potential to go into effect July 1, 2027. Unlike Pennsylvania, Wyoming is not a state with a legal, regulated iGaming industry.
Virginia is also considering sweeps legislation ahead of the 2027 session, as bills attempting to legalize online casinos in 2026 — one of which is carrying over to 2027 — include language to study sweeps-style gaming.
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…
