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Stake.us to halt operations in Arizona by August 12

Sports Writer

Publish Date: Jul 23, 2025

Fact checked by: Sara Jane Gamelli

Key Points

Stake,us will halt operations in Arizona on August 12
No cease-and-desist orders have been issued yet by the Arizona Department of Gaming
Arizona is the 17th state where Stake.us will halt operating its sweepstakes casino app

The Arizona Department of Gaming is working with Stake.us to usher that online sweepstakes casino out of the state by mid-August. Officials from Stake.us, as well as state regulators confirmed to Sweepsy.com that the gaming platform has agreed to cease operations by August 12.

No new Stake.us accounts are being accepted in Arizona as of July 16. Existing customers will be unable to access their accounts while in Arizona starting next month, Aug. 12, according to the company.

Arizona marks the 17th state where Stake.us will be exiting and ceasing operations of its popular sweepstakes casino mobile application.

In January, the Arizona Department of Gaming came out strongly against sweepstakes casinos in a letter warning consumers. That consumer report outlined the dangers of using an unregulated application for gaming activity.

Still, the ADG never sent formal cease-and-desist letters to Stake.us or other sweepstakes operators.

Sweepstakes Casinos are coming under scrutiny across the U.S.

Sweepstakes casinos and so-called social casinos are coming under intense scrutiny in many states in recent weeks and months. The platforms typically use a dual-currency format that skirts legal requirements on consumers gambling with their own money.

As a result, these platforms exists in a gray area of the gambling industry

Other states where Stake.us has shuttered business include: Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia.

In many cases where the company has stopped operations, Stake.us has responded favorably to cease-and-desist orders. In some instances, the company has collaborated with state gaming regulators to transition out, as is the case in Arizona.

Legal online casinos are available in seven states

Only one state has joined that list in the last 24 months. The slowing of legal online casino apps (also known as "iGaming") has created a vacuum where sweepstakes casinos can attract consumers who want to play casino-style games via the internet.

Why do sweepstakes casinos simply scram from states where they are asked to leave? The answer could be financial, says Forbes, which published an article in February that lawsuits over the legality of sweepstakes casinos "could take years to litigate and have already been bogged down in early-stage motion practice over a wide spectrum of procedural issues."

Both sweepstakes casinos and the states have an incentive to avoid costly legal wrangling

Some states feel they can better address sweepstakes casinos through existing gaming regulations and criminal law, as opposed to legislation.

In Louisiana earlier this year, the state legislature passed a bill banning sweepstakes casinos. But the governor vetoed it, instead choosing to order his attorney general to issue orders to the operators to leave, which they did.

For the latest sweepstakes news and updates, check out our Ballislife Play section.

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