Crown Coins Casino Faces New Class Action Lawsuit in Ohio

Crown Coins Casino, the popular sweepstakes casino operated by Sunflower Ltd and Sunflower Technology, Inc, is feeling the heat in Ohio. After facing a complaint filed by plaintiff Kelly McNamara on August 22nd, 2025, the gaming company is back in the spotlight. 

This time, Chris Drollinger led the filing of a class action complaint in a Ohio federal court last February 27th 2026, arguing that it’s running an illegal business.

In the filed document shared by Daniel Wallach, the plaintiffs argue that Crown Coins is “an online version of Internet Cafe”, with the same business model and 1:1 pricing structure. The Buckeye State has taken a strict stance on gaming and sweepstakes casinos. In 2012-2013, state authorities have targeted these popular platforms via House Bill 7 and Senate Bill 115, imposing morataria and equipping the Attorney General with regulatory powers,

Here’s What We Know

As reported by Daniel Wallach on his X/Twitter page, Case No. 1:26-cv00210, with Chriss Drollinger as the main plaintiff, argues that Crown Coins works like an online internet cafe, with a 1:1 pricing model, possibly referring to the 1 SC= $1 redemption scheme.

The complaint further explains that "sweepstakes Coins are a proxy for real money". It then explains that there exists a nearly 1:1 correlation between the amount of dollars spent and amount of Sweepstakes Coins offered in each purchase. The complaint concludes that "defendant is copying the Internet café playbook, but instead of selling Internet time, long-distance phone minutes, or small groceries coupled with supposedly “free” sweepstakes tokens, Defendant sells Crown Coins, which are then ignored so that players can use the Sweepstakes Coins for cryptocurrency gambling".

The plaintiff’s complaint is against the site’s operators, Sunflower Limited and Sunflower Technology Inc, and seeks a jury trial.

Ohio’s laws traditionally worked against gaming operators, particularly sweepstakes casinos. In item No. 11 of the filing, it noted that “Ohio courts have long held that the availability of free chances is not necessarily dispositive of whether the game is a gambling scheme”.

Historical Crackdown on Sweepstakes Casinos

Ohio has a tradition of strict rules and enforcement against specific sweepstakes casino operations, particularly physical “internet cafes”, though online sweepstakes games have operated in a gray area. In 2012-2013, authorities filed House Bill 7 and Senate Bill 115, stopping the operations of these business and giving the Attorney General regulatory powers over machines that simulate gambling. According to some complaints, these “casino-style games” skirt anti-gambling statutes (ORC §2915.02).

While restrictions on land-based operations are tight, online sweepstakes casino platforms remains accessible without licenses. There were recent class actions, including the McNamara complaint in 2025 which reflects growing scrutiny.

Now, Crown Coins just got slapped with fresh legal heat, and it's dragging the entire sweepstakes casino world into this legal drama.

REFERENCES

• Daniel Wallach X/Twitter

• Case No. 1:26-cv00210