New Jersey Legislature Revives Sweeps Regulation Push After 2025 Ban

Last August 2025, New Jersey officially banned sweepstakes casinos with Assembly Bill A5447. Filed by Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese (District 36) and Assemblyman Sterley S. Stanley (District 18), the bill redefined sweepstakes-style products as illegal gambling. 

The state’s ban was one of the strictest laws passed last year, with fines of up to $100k on the first offense, $200k on the second or subsequent offenses, and each day of violation is counted as a separate offense. The impact was immediate—a few operators, including VGW brands, preemptively geo-blocked NJ players.

Now, a few legal opinions seem to be shifting in sweepstakes casinos’ favor. State Senator Joseph Cryan has refiled S1500, which aims to regulate rather than ban sweepstakes casino games.

S1500 Aims to Reverse State’s Ban on Sweepstakes Casinos

Sen. Cryan’s bill, filed last January 13th, aims to revisit the initial decision to ban the dual-currency model. 

Instead of a strict wording that the dual-sweepstakes platforms are illegal, the new bill attempts to classify them as “regulated internet gaming”. Under Cryan's proposal, the following can be expected:

• Qualified operators must apply for a gaming license from the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE)

• The Casino Control Commission holds the final approval

• Approved platforms must partner with an Atlantic City casino licensee and pay 19.75% tax on their gross revenue

• Approved operators must comply with full iGaming standards, including AML/KYC checks, geolocations, DGE audits, and implementation of responsible gambling

What’s the Status?

The S1500 mirrors the previous proposals of Sen. Ryan, which pushed for regulation, instead of a ban. This proposal is now filed with the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee, and no hearings or votes have been planned or announced as of press time.

If Cryan’s bill pushes through, it will treat sweepstakes casinos as iGaming platforms, subject to the same strict standards. More importantly, it can serve as a refreshing news for sweeps operators who have been at the receiving end of bad news lately.

REFERENCES

• S1500