VGW is pulling its sweepstakes-style promotional play from Tennessee, making it the latest company to back away as the state increases its scrutiny of unlicensed and sweepstakes gambling sites. The move comes just a few weeks after the company stopped offering sweepstakes play in West Virginia.
A VGW spokesperson told ReadWrite: “Following careful consideration, we can confirm we’ve informed players in Tennessee of a decision to phase out Promotional Play (sweepstakes promotions) in the state across our brands.
“However, our valued players in Tennessee will still be able to enjoy all their favorite free-to-play games using Gold Coins. We are 100 percent focused on ensuring players are fully informed about the changes and that this transition is as smooth as possible.
“But we understand this is an adjustment after several years of enjoying our industry-leading brands and some players may be disappointed. This decision wasn’t taken lightly and was made based on a range of factors.”
According to information shared with players, people in Tennessee will not be able to collect Sweeps Coins in any way starting November 24, 2025. This includes login rewards, competitions, promotional bonuses that come with Gold Coin purchases, and postal requests.
Players can keep using any Sweeps Coins they still have until December 23, 2025. After that date, Sweeps Coin gameplay and new postal requests will stop. Players can continue submitting redemption requests until January 20, 2026, when the window closes for good.
Tennessee cracks down on sweepstakes as VGW exits market
VGW’s decision comes at a time when Tennessee’s Sports Wagering Council is ramping up efforts against platforms it views as illegal sports gaming operators. On October 23, the council announced that three more groups had stopped offering sports betting in the state. Those were BetWhale.ag, Kickr, and ReBet. BetWhale, an offshore sportsbook, closed after receiving a cease and desist notice along with a fine of $50,000. Kickr and ReBet, which both operate social and sweepstakes style sports gaming platforms, also suspended their services.
“We encourage all Tennessee sports betting customers to remember it is important to use legal, licensed sportsbooks to protect your own personal and financial information,” SWC executive director Mary Beth Thomas said in a release. She cautioned that just because an app or website is available in Tennessee does not mean it is authorized to operate. She encouraged people to check the state’s official list of licensed operators. The SWC also pointed out that online sportsbooks in the state took in $5.6 billion in wagers during the last fiscal year.
Sweepstakes operators leave the state
The state’s enforcement push has already led several sweepstakes-style operators to exit altogether. This week, Thrillzz, KicKr, and ReBet all pulled out after being identified as illegal sports gaming platforms. Earlier in the year, Legendz and Sportzino withdrew their sports betting products, although Legendz still offers casino style games to players in Tennessee.
Blazesoft's Sportzino exits Tennessee after cease-and-desist order https://t.co/pF3mTWW3eg
— Tennessee Sports Wagering Council (@tnswac) September 22, 2025
Even though Tennessee has not passed a specific ban on sweepstakes gambling, regulators are increasingly applying current laws to sweepstakes based sports betting models, and it appears that it might be issuing cease-and-desist orders either way.
With the pressure rising, some operators are choosing to leave on their own rather than risk fines or legal trouble. VGW has already ended Chumba and Luckyland Casino play for users in New Jersey, and it has also stopped offering sweepstakes play in New York.
Featured image: VGW
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