Gains Casino has introduced “Merch Mode” for players in California and New York, replacing its usual Gold Coin-plus-Sweeps Coin purchase bundles with sales of Gains-branded physical merchandise that include Sweeps Coins as a promotional bonus.
The coins are credited automatically once the merchandise payment is completed, without players having to wait for delivery. They can be used for normal gameplay and redeemed for cash prizes. Gains’ updated rules say Gold Coin purchases are unavailable in the two states.
SweepsKings, which reported the change on Sept. 16, gave examples including a $25 sticker purchase that awards 25 Sweeps Coins and a $100 purchase, including a trucker hat, that awards 100. The changes apply only in California and New York; the experience in other states where Gains operates is unchanged.
The shift comes after both states enacted restrictions aimed at the traditional dual-currency sweepstakes format. That model pairs purchasable Gold Coins, used for gameplay, with Sweeps Coins that can be redeemed for cash prizes.
California’s AB 831 took effect on Jan. 1 and prohibits online sweepstakes casinos using dual-currency systems to simulate gambling and award cash or cash-equivalent prizes. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the measure on Oct. 11, 2025. The law also reaches businesses that knowingly support platforms found to violate the prohibition, with penalties of up to $25,000 per offense and possible criminal sanctions, according to a California legal guide.
New York’s S5935A became Chapter 605 when Governor Kathy Hochul signed it on Dec. 5, 2025. The law added Section 912 to the state’s Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law, making it unlawful to operate, conduct or promote an online sweepstakes game using a dual-currency system. Unlike California’s delayed effective date, New York’s provision took effect immediately upon signing.
Section 912 focuses on games that combine a currency for entertainment with a redeemable currency in casino-style products. Its language excludes games that do not award cash prizes or cash equivalents, leaving Gold-Coin-only social casinos outside that specific prohibition. Enforcement is directed at operators and associated suppliers, including payment processors, geolocation providers and media affiliates, rather than players; civil penalties range from $10,000 to $100,000 per violation.
New York’s market had already contracted before the statute took effect. Following cease-and-desist letters issued by Attorney General Letitia James on June 6, 2025, all 26 named operators agreed to end Sweeps Coin sales in the state, according to RG.org’s review of the law.
Gains’ merchandise approach is one of several models operators have explored after the new restrictions. SweepsKings identified Acebet.cc’s sale of card packs bundled with free Sweeps Coins as a similar structure, while cautioning that operators are seeking alternatives to the banned Gold Coin/Sweeps Coin format.
