High 5 Casino Extends California Exit Amid AB831 Fallout
Popular Sweeps Site Delays Shutdown Until Oct. 20 Following New Law
High 5 Casino, one of the top sweepstakes casinos in the U.S., has pushed back its California shutdown date to October 20, a last-minute shift following Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of Assembly Bill 831 (AB831).
Key Timeline for California Players
Originally set to block access on September 15, the High 5 Casino website will now remain partially open for one more week, gradually restricting features until full closure.
- Oct. 13: New signups and currency purchases disabled.
- Oct. 13–19: Gameplay, Gold Coin use, and SC redemptions still allowed.
- Oct. 20: Access blocked for all California-based users.
This timeline supersedes High 5’s earlier September 15 deadline.
What’s Behind the Delay?
The revised plan closely follows Newsom’s Oct. 11 signature on AB831, which bans sweepstakes casino operations statewide effective January 1, 2026. The law not only targets direct operators but also those who “knowingly and willfully” support or promote these platforms.
With this legal clarity, High 5 and other operators appear to be winding down operations early, either as a precaution or a response to mounting legal risk.
Lawsuit May Be a Factor
High 5 Casino is also the target of a pending lawsuit in California, where a plaintiff alleges they were misled into playing an “illegal online casino.”
A judge declined to dismiss the case in September. This could be influencing High 5’s cautious withdrawal strategy.
Market Impact
High 5 joins a growing list of operators preemptively exiting California:
Others, like Vivaro.us, have exited entirely, citing U.S. regulatory uncertainty.
According to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, California was expected to generate 17.3% of all U.S. sweeps revenue in 2025. Since AB831’s passage, revenue projections have dropped from $4.6B to $3.6B for 2026.
With AB831’s full enforcement still months away, remaining operators must now decide to exit early like High 5 and others or stay open until December 31, 2025, as some did during New Jersey’s ban rollout
Expect more market exits, or relaunches elsewhere, in the coming weeks.
References
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