West Virginia has become the latest state to put real pressure on the sweepstakes casino industry. Attorney General John McCuskey launched a wide-reaching enforcement campaign last week, issuing nearly 50 subpoenas to sweepstakes-style gaming operators believed to be offering illegal gambling services to residents.
In the immediate aftermath, more than 20 major platforms — including some of the best-known names in the space—have voluntarily pulled out of the state. These include casino-style sweepstakes sites like McLuck and Pulsz, which until now had been operating freely under promotional gaming models.
This enforcement move marks a shift in tactics. Rather than waiting for legislation to pass, West Virginia is leveraging subpoena power to investigate whether operators are violating existing gambling laws. By treating these businesses as potentially illegal gambling enterprises, the state is signaling it won’t wait for slow-moving bills to clamp down.
With sweepstakes operators exiting rapidly, players in West Virginia are left with shrinking access and limited clarity. For now, the legal message is clear: sweepstakes-style gaming platforms offering cash-equivalent prizes are no longer welcome in the Mountain State.