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California's Anti-Sweeps Bill AB831 Hearing Scheduled For July 15

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Publish Date: Jul 14, 2025

Fact checked by: Sara Jane Gamelli

In the latest Legal News, in California, there's a bill, Assembly Bill 831 (also known as AB831), that'll be heard before the Senate Public Safety Committee.

According to Daniel Wallach, this is the second hearing for the bill (first by the Senate Public Safety Committee) and it'll be heard at 9 am PT on Tuesday, July 15.

This comes after the California Senate Governmental Organization Committee voted and passed the bill.

According to Wallach, "AB 831 would ban online sweepstakes casinos and impose criminal penalties on operators, suppliers, promoters, and media affiliates." california state capitol building at night

Latest on the Bill

As mentioned, AB831 was voted on and passed in the Senate Governmental Organization Committee last week.

“In recent years, online sweepstakes casinos have increased in popularity by exploiting no purchase necessary and using dual currency models to take advantage of a gray area in the law,” said Assemblyman Avelino Valencia, the lawmaker who introduced the bill. “Players are able to convert winnings into actual cash. By operating as an online casino with real cash payouts, these platforms are circumventing the will of the voters and sidestepping the state’s gaming framework.”

Now, it'll be voted on to continue through the Senate.

Sweepstakes Casinos Respond

In response to AB831, notable sweepstakes casino operator Virtual Gaming Worlds, which oversees Chumba Casino, Global Poker, and Luckyland Slots, said it would be "happy" to pay sales tax in California. This could be viewed as a way for them to try to gain favor with lawmakers as the bill progresses, to hopefully find a pathway to being able to operate in the state.

VGW followed this up by charging sales tax in states like Kentucky, Illinois, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii, but it's more likely than not that players in other states were also affected.

“We acknowledge this is a change for some of our players, but as the legal framework has evolved over time, we’ve determined it is the appropriate time to take this action,” a VGW spokesperson told a news site. “This is part of our commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and compliance, and our focus now is on ensuring players are well informed and supported as required.”

Players hit with the sales tax were greeted with the following message:

“Please be advised that purchases may be subject to tax depending on your location. Any applicable tax will not be counted toward your purchase limit.

“Sales tax is common in the US and helps state governments raise revenue, but differs across the country,” the VGW spokesperson said. “Some states don’t have sales tax, while in other states that do, the tax rates can vary. Local governments may also have additional taxes. As such, the total rate paid by players following this decision is dependent on their location.”

More than 20k Responses From Players Sent to Lawmakers

Utilizing Qurom, a platform used by companies and organizations to reach lawmakers, VGW sent out emails to players asking them to fill out a form to contact legislators in hopes they'd vote against AB831.

“California legislators are considering a bill that could ban online social games with sweepstakes promotions! No warning, no player input,” the email from Chumba Casino reads, in part. “If passed, this bill – AB 831 – would take away your freedom to play the games you love.

“We believe your voice matters. Millions of Californians enjoy Chumba Casino games safely and responsibly every day, and lawmakers need to hear that. Let’s set the record straight. These are your games, and it’s time to speak up.”

The email had a final call-to-action, reading:

“Take 60 seconds to tell your representatives: Don’t take away our games – SIGN HERE”

As of July 7, there were nearly 20,000 responses.

Now, we'll see if this has any impact on the vote by the Senate Public Safety Committee tomorrow, Tuesday, July 15.

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