Global Poker players in the state of California will no longer be able to play using sweeps coins after December 30, 2025. They have become the third poker site in the state to leave this month, ahead of the state-wide 2026 dual-currency ban, following Clubs Poker and Stake US. Players will have until January 15, 2026, to redeem their sweeps coins for cash.
Play on Clubs Poker ends tonight, December 29, with players required to redeem their sweeps coins by the end of tonight or risk losing them permanently. California marked the 11th state that Clubs Poker departed from, having previously left Connecticut, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Washington, and West Virginia.
Back in mid-October, California Governor Gavin Newsom officially signed AB 831 into law, making California the tenth state to ban online sweepstakes, following Washington, Michigan, Montana, New York, Connecticut, Nevada, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Idaho.
What are online sweepstakes?
Online sweepstakes have been a workaround for many websites in the United States for some time, creating an estimated $4 billion market for these sites that skirt around gambling laws.
Here’s an example of how it works: A player spends $500 on a gold coin (GC) package, receiving 500 sweeps coins (SC) for free. These gold coins are effectively play money and are worth absolutely nothing, while the sweeps coins can be redeemed for USD at a rate of 1:1. Players can use the SC to play table games, poker, slots, and more.
These gray-area sweepstakes games effectively take money away from legal online and land-based casinos, denying states valuable tax revenue. However, sweepstakes gaming continues to operate in many states due to legal loopholes.
When will the California ban take place?
California will fully ban online sweepstakes on January 1, 2026, fully closing this grey area loophole. An estimated 25% of the entire sweepstakes gaming market (roughly $1 billion) is reported to have come through the state of California.
ClubWPT Gold attempts new legal strategy
While most online sweepstakes sites have confirmed their California exits, ClubWPT Gold (CWG) is attempting to stay in the Golden State by testing a new legal strategy that could continue to skirt around the upcoming law. CWG has now marketed themself as an educational poker site, abandoning its dual-currency model and replacing it with a single currency called “Chips.”
The catch? You can only receive Chips by purchasing Hand Analysis credit packages. Conveniently enough, the amount of Chips you receive is equal to 1:1 of the cost of the package, and each Chip can be redeemed for one dollar.
You receive two Hand Analysis credits for each dollar you spend on the package, and every single hand you play voluntarily will be automatically reviewed, compared to the Game-Theory Optimal (GTO) play. Once these Hand Analysis credits run out, players can continue using the Chips. Naturally, the Hand Analysis credits run out extremely quickly, though it would be a fantastic long-term feature otherwise.
Which states could be next?
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed S05935A into law, prohibiting online sweepstakes casino games, on December 5. Virtual Gaming World, who own Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker, left the state back in August.
Indiana, Maryland, and Maine have been aggressively debating new legislation that could see dual-currency sweepstakes games banned in the state in 2026.
