Connecticut and Louisiana edge closer to online sweepstakes ban
Respective bills receive unanimous backing in Constitution State and Bayou State Senates, although some progress still to be made before states could join Montana in outlawing practice
Connecticut and Louisiana’s respective Senates have approved bills to ban online sweepstakes casinos as the legislative pushback against the vertical continues to ramp up.
Connecticut’s Senate Bill 1235 was approved unanimously last week by 36-0 votes, with the bill also aiming to ban lottery couriers from operating in the state.
The bill’s text reads that “no person shall conduct or promote a sweepstakes or a promotional drawing [that] uses a simulated gambling device, or allows or facilitates participation in any real or simulated online casino gaming or sports wagering.”
The bill also aims to define and redefine certain terms concerning gaming while also modifying the provisions surrounding wagers on sporting events involving intercollegiate teams in Connecticut.
SB 1235 will now be sent to the House, with the state’s legislative session closing on June 4.
Elsewhere, Louisiana Senator Adam Bass’ SB 181 is progressing in the state legislature, which would also outlaw sweepstakes.
Having also been approved unanimously 39-0 in the Senate last month, a House reading on May 21 also passed 8-0.
It was then sent to the Legislative Bureau and reported back to the House without any further amendments.
SB 181 takes aim at the “dual-currency system of payment” in its text, as part of Bass’ efforts to ban the vertical.
The bill adds that “whoever designs, develops, manages, supervises, maintains, provides, or produces” products that resemble any game, contest, or lottery will be fined a maximum of $100,000.
In response to the bill, the Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA) argued that SB 181 “recklessly misclasses legitimate sweepstakes as illegal gaming.”
Should either state ban sweepstakes casinos, they would follow Montana, which last week became the first state to officially ban the vertical after the bill passed through both House and Senate chambers 88-11.
The ban comes into effect from October 1, 2025.
Reacting to the Montana decision, the SPGA said: “Montana just criminalized everyday digital promotions with a law so broadly written it fails to name what it bans.
“It’s a dangerous precedent that could undermine consumer trust, business innovation, and long-standing legal marketing practices.”
Ongoing attempts to ban sweepstakes casinos come after a second trade body was formed last week, the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance which follows in the footsteps of the SPGA.