Why No Sweepstakes Casinos Operate in California or New York — Except Card Crush
California's AB 831 and New York's Gaming Commission crackdown drove every major sweepstakes casino out of both states. Card Crush is the lone survivor — here's the full story.
By USA Sweepstake Team · 2026-05-03 · 7 min read · For US players
## The CA + NY Sweepstakes Casino Exodus (2025–2026) Between Q3 2025 and Q1 2026, virtually every USA sweepstakes casino brand voluntarily withdrew from California and New York. The reasons are regulatory, not commercial — and the result is the same: **[Card Crush](https://tracker.gemified.io/r/yqvM3PsrL-ie/69caa16701e1ec3e1f1d9a5c)** is the only sweepstakes casino still accepting US Players Only in either state. ### California: AB 831 Changed Everything California's **Assembly Bill 831** redefined dual-currency promotional models in a way that put dozens of sweepstakes operators at direct enforcement risk. Combined with active California DOJ scrutiny, every major brand made the same call: pull out rather than litigate. **Brands that exited California:** Stake.us, McLuck, Pulsz, High 5 Casino, WOW Vegas, Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, Fortune Wins Casino, Crown Coins, Hello Millions, Sportzino, Funrize, NoLimitCoins, RealPrize, Spree, Jackpota, MoonSpin, Modo.us, Zula Casino — and more. ### New York: Gaming Commission Cease-and-Desist Wave In late 2025, the **New York State Gaming Commission** issued cease-and-desist letters to over 25 sweepstakes operators. By early 2026, every…