Arizona sends four more cease-and-desist orders to sweepstakes operators
Leading sweepstakes sportsbook Fliff targeted in latest round of action, while sweepstake ban signed into law over in New Jersey
The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) has issued cease-and-desist letters to four operators, including leading sweepstakes sportsbook Fliff.
On Friday, August 15, the state regulator announced it had sent the orders to the offending platforms, which also included Thrillz, BettySweeps, and Pulsz Casino.
Both Fliff and Thrillz operate as sweepstakes sportsbooks, with the former a member of the Social and Promotional Gaming Association (SPGA). BettySweeps and Pulsz offer a sweepstakes casino product.
The ADG said the quartet were in violation of Arizona gaming laws, including the promotion of gambling, illegal control of an enterprise, and money laundering.
The four businesses have been direct to immediately stop offering their services in the Grand Canyon State.
The ADG said: “The identified operators are reportedly offering access to illegal online gambling platforms, including ‘sweepstakes’ casino-style models and event wagering sportsbook betting options.
“Unlicensed operators operating outside the law and without regulatory safeguards pose serious risks to consumer protection and financial security across the state, undermining the integrity of Arizona’s regulated gaming industry.”
In June, the ADG sent another batch of cease-and-desist letters, with Stake.US and High 5 Games targeted.
On the East Coast, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed the sweepstakes ban into law on Friday, August 15.
Murphy gave his signature to A5447 after the legislation had passed through the House and the Senate at the end of June.
The bill was introduced in March by Democratic Clinton Calabrese, two months after he filed legislation which would have aimed to regulate the sector.
At the start of July, after the legislature had approved the bill, the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance urged Murphy not to sign it into law.
The trade body’s executive director Jeff Duncan said: “These proposals seek to eliminate a popular form of digital entertainment enjoyed by millions of Americans and based on a model used legally for decades by trusted consumer brands.
This is not gambling – it’s marketing. Our partners operate free-to-play games with strong consumer protections and legally compliant promotional sweepstakes structures.”