Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has sued sweepstakes-casino operator VGW, alleging that its online gaming platforms provide unlicensed gambling and deceive consumers about their legality. The case, filed Nov. 4 in White County Circuit Court, targets the operator of Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Casino, LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker.
The state alleges violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Griffin’s office says customers buy Gold Coins with real money, receive Sweeps Coins as a bonus, use those coins in casino-style games and can redeem winnings for cash. The attorney general argued that the distinction between the two virtual currencies does not remove the activity from Arkansas gambling law.
VGW’s sites offered slots, blackjack, poker and other casino games to Arkansas users, according to the complaint. The state alleges that VGW accepted money from residents, supplied the means to gamble and paid winnings in cash or other prizes, while marketing its products as legal, safe and social gaming.
The complaint also raises concerns about access by younger users. It says VGW’s platforms allowed players as young as 18, whereas customers in Arkansas’s regulated casino sector must be at least 21. The state’s investigation concluded that residents could play casino-style games for a chance to win real money through the VGW platforms.
The lawsuit seeks consumer restitution, civil penalties, taxes and injunctive relief. Penalties under the state consumer-protection law can reach $10,000 for each violation, with further penalties available in some circumstances. The filing also seeks attorney fees and investigation costs.
VGW reported about $66 million in taxable Arkansas sales between July 2025 and June 2026 and paid roughly $6 million in sales and use taxes in that period, according to the complaint. The state nevertheless seeks tax-related relief as part of its broader action.
Arkansas permits regulated casino gambling and sports betting, but real-money online gaming remains prohibited. Legislative proposals HB1861 and SB524 would have created an Interactive Gaming Act and made operating dual-currency sweepstakes casinos a felony, but both were shelved in 2025.
The case adds to mounting state action against VGW. As covered in September, the company agreed to pay New York $8 million and end sweepstakes play there. Griffin’s suit comes as several states have enacted measures banning the sweepstakes-casino vertical, and as VGW has withdrawn services from a number of jurisdictions.
LuckyLand Slots stopped operating in the United States in September. VGW has been led by interim chief executive Mats Johnson since founder Laurence Escalante stepped down in July.
