Florida’s attorney general is extending his campaign against sweepstakes casinos to the advertising platforms that promote them. James Uthmeier sent letters to Google, Meta, Reddit, Snap and TikTok on September 25, according to a September 28 report. He asked the companies to explain by October 23 what they have done to prevent ads for named operators from reaching Florida residents.
What Florida’s sweepstakes casino ad letters seek
The letters focus on promotions for sites such as Stake, Chumba Casino, LuckyLand and Global Poker. The attorney general argues that their sweepstakes model amounts to unlicensed gambling under Florida law. That is the state’s allegation, not a final court finding. The companies named in the letters are advertising platforms, while the casino operators are the subject of separate lawsuits.
Uthmeier wants written confirmation of the steps each platform has taken to stop advertising the named sites to people in Florida. As Legal Sports Report detailed on September 28, the request shifts the state’s attention from operators and payment processors toward the channels that help them acquire customers.
Why the ads are now in focus
Sweepstakes casinos typically use two forms of virtual currency. The state contends that redeemable coins can function like wagering credits, despite the operators’ free-play framing. Advertising is significant because it can bring Florida residents to those platforms even while the underlying legal dispute remains unresolved.
The distinction between social gaming and real-money gambling matters here. Google’s published policy treats sweepstakes casinos differently from social casinos with no prize of value. Yet the immediate issue in Florida is broader than one company’s ad policy: Uthmeier claims the promotions themselves facilitate unlawful activity in the state.
How this fits the wider dispute
In August, Florida filed lawsuits against the operators behind Stake and VGW’s Chumba Casino, LuckyLand and Global Poker. The state seeks injunctions and financial remedies. Those cases have not reached a final judgment, and the defendants have the opportunity to contest the claims. The new letters do not settle the legality of every sweepstakes product nationwide; gambling rules and enforcement differ by state.
Suppliers have also been reassessing exposure to this market. CasinoPost previously covered Pragmatic Play’s exit from US sweepstakes, one example of the commercial decisions surrounding the sector. Florida’s request adds another question for advertisers: how quickly can they identify and restrict a campaign aimed at users in a particular state?
The next concrete date is October 23, when Uthmeier has asked for the platforms’ responses. Until then, a letter is a demand for action and information, not proof that any platform has been found liable. Operators, ad buyers and readers should watch the responses and the underlying court cases for a clearer picture of what changes in Florida.
