As the online sweepstakes gaming industry continues to change and adapt under the microscope of the collective U.S. gambling market, another major operator has decided to shut down operations in a regulated iGaming state.
Pulsz, a popular sweeps site owned by Yellow Social Interactive, has pulled out of West Virginia, according to the latest update to its terms of use released Sunday. The new terms also say “certain promotions shall be limited for you” if you live in Louisiana or Mississippi.
“Please also note that our Services are no longer accessible for the residents of the State of West Virginia,” reads a terms of use update alert customers need to read before playing.
Before Sunday, Pulsz’s restricted territories were Washington, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Alabama, and Tennessee.
Pulsz becomes the fifth known site to shut down sweeps operations in West Virginia over the past couple weeks. High 5 Casino and Stake.us did so as part of an exodus from states with regulated iGaming two weeks ago, and Hello Millions and McLuck left West Virginia and Maryland last week.
In regards to the Mississippi changes, a Pulsz customer support representative said:
- Starting March 3, any sweepstakes codes generated from the site cannot be mailed in.
- Starting March 31, players will not be able to enter sweepstakes promotions with any remaining Sweeps Coins. Mail-in requests will also not be accepted after this date.
- After April 15, all Sweeps Coins in Mississippi accounts will expire.
The Louisiana changes actually date back to late 2024 (the changes mirror those we just mentioned for Mississippi).
Things have moved quickly in West Virginia, Mississippi
Fresh off assuming office Jan. 13, West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey sent subpoenas to an unknown group of sweepstakes operators in early February, per reporting from Casino Reports.
Again, we don’t know if Pulsz, Stake.us, High 5, Hello Millions, or McLuck were among the group to receive a subpoena. The timing could certainly be coincidental. But the five sites have all left West Virginia since then.
Mississippi, meanwhile, is the only state among those considering bills banning sweepstakes gaming sites to actually have a legislative chamber pass it. The Senate approved SB 2510 by a 44-1 vote on Feb. 11 and now sits in the House Gaming Committee.
The language in the bill specifically addressing sweeps is:
“Any online, interactive, or computerized version of any game as defined in Section 75-76-5(k) or any other game of chance or digital simulation thereof, including, but not limited to, online race books, online sports pools, and online sweepstakes casino-style games, is hereby declared to be a gambling device, and the offering for play or operating an online or interactive platform that offers for play such games within the State of Mississippi shall be deemed unlawful under the provisions of this section.”
In a statement responding to the Mississippi Senate’s decision, the Social and Promotional Games Association urged lawmakers to consider regulation over an outright ban.
“(SB 2510) unjustly targets sweepstakes and conflates a safe and legal form of entertainment with illegal operations,” the statement read. “This bill not only misrepresents the nature of sweepstakes gaming—an established and consumer-friendly model—but also sets a troubling precedent by equating these operations with illicit gambling.”
What about Louisiana?
As for Louisiana, there is no pending legislation regarding sweeps operators or any legal efforts against them from the Attorney General or any state official. So there’s no clear reason Pulsz would modify its promotions in Louisiana.
However, it is noteworthy Louisiana appears on restricted lists for several sweepstakes gaming operators, including Hello Millions, Jackpota, McLuck, Spree, High 5, and Mega Bonanza.
Also of note: In early February, Louisiana lawmakers conducted a hearing on the potential legalization of real-money online casino gambling in the future. The Senate Judiciary B and Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee heard testimony from various stakeholders on both sides of the iGaming debate, including Light & Wonder global head of government affairs and legislative counsel Howard Glaser, who is a frequent and vocal opposer of sweepstakes gaming on LinkedIn.
The hearing didn’t lead to any immediate actions. This was simply the result of a bill passing earlier this year that mandated lawmakers study the online casino industry. But it’s safe to say real-money iGaming is a topic of interest in Louisiana. Beyond this recent hearing, a bill that would have legalized online casinos was also considered last winter.