The evolving sweepstakes casino industry: advertising, regulation, consumer trust, and sustainable growth.
An interview with Alexander Korsager
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
One thing that is a certainty in life, and in the world of online gambling in particular, is that nothing stays the same. We live in a world of constant flux, and right now, with the advances in technology and the breakthroughs in AI, everything seems to be evolving at quite an alarming pace. It can feel impossible to catch our breath before the next big thing hits us and we all change direction again.
Online sweepstakes casinos are no exception – the industry seems to be in a continuous state of flux as some regulators move to ban them and operators come up with a clever loophole. Meanwhile, in terms of monetary value and reach, the sector is now outpacing the real-money casino market and is potentially an incredibly lucrative opportunity for operators.
We wanted to better understand the advertising changes, regulatory challenges, and how operators can build sustainable platforms. Therefore, we invited online casino expert Alexander Korsager from independent review platform Casino.org to come and shed some light on the latest news about sweepstakes casinos in the US.
Sweepsadvantage
Hi Alexander, welcome to Sweepsadvantage. For the benefit of our readers, could you just tell us a little bit more about you, the business you work for, and why your insights are invaluable?
Alexander Korsager
Thanks so much for inviting me! I am Chief Gaming Officer at Casino.org, and while that sounds like a fun title, I take my work incredibly seriously. Our business has been around for over thirty years, and our aim has always been to help players find their perfect casinos. We are fully independent from any of the platforms and offer expert reviews, smart tools, and trusted guides so that iGamers can play with confidence.
Together with my team, we have reviewed hundreds of sweeps casinos, and it can be hard to find genuine standouts. New ones are launching all the time, and we are always looking for sites that have earned their reputation through either excellent value propositions or superior user experiences. It also matters that they reward players well for signing up!
Well, we obviously love Sweepstakes casino, but it seems that not everyone is so keen. Can you talk us through some of the changes that have been happening, particularly around advertising?
I think the issue with sweepstakes casinos is that while they use clever loopholes to get around gambling regulation, some people do still consider them as gambling rather than entertainment sites. Ultimately, they are gambling-adjacent, which is why we rate and review them. All we want is for players to be able to play on them in a way that is safe and fair. As gambling advertising has restrictions, it is not that surprising that many people want tighter controls around sweepstakes casinos.
Last year, Google changed its advertising policy for social gaming to exclude sweepstakes casinos, which strips sweepstakes casinos from the permissible forms of social gaming advertising. This does not mean that sweepstakes casinos cannot promote themselves (far from it), but they cannot advertise as social casinos.
There is no doubt that they are a hybrid model, and the latest update prohibits a single Google Ads account from holding an online gambling certification and a social casino game certification simultaneously. Separate accounts are not required for these distinct categories. Operators who run both a licensed sportsbook and a sweepstakes product are going to have to restructure their Google Ads account architecture to comply.
Ah, so it is not that they cannot be advertised, just that they have to do so differently?
Yes, they must display a footer statement on the advertised domain confirming that all outbound links go only to licensed operators. As we only deal with properly licensed and reputable casinos, this supports our position, but an affiliate linking to an unlicensed offshore operator in the gray market will be non-compliant.
What has been happening on the regulation of sweepstakes casinos?
Well, it has been quite busy this year. Earlier this month, Louisiana implemented a sweeps ban that outlaws the dual-currency model of non-redeemable Gold Coins and redeemable Sweeps coins by arguing that the games were ‘gambling by computer’. It linked these operations to its racketeering statute. Maine has also banned sweepstakes casinos and threatening fines of up to $100,000 per violation. This is because it is launching its real-money market, so it doesn’t want confusion in its regulated markets. There is a ban in Indiana, while Iowa has expanded enforcement. However, it was reported that Minnesota’s ban effort failed. And that is all since June 2026!
How do consumers react to the changes, and how can they find trustworthy sites?
I think consumers are probably just frustrated. Many countries have taken a much more pragmatic approach to gambling than the US. For example, Canada, the UK, and some American states acknowledge that people like to gamble and have set up frameworks for people to do so safely. The US has a more complicated relationship with gambling and online casinos in general. Consumers are increasingly turning to sites like ours to find trustworthy sites, as we only recommend the ones that genuinely have their best interests at heart.
If you were an operator (and I know you are not), what advice would you give for someone looking to build a sustainable platform?
While we are not operators, we look very closely at everything the operators do, and we see through marketing hype and fakery. My advice would be to be honest and upfront to build an ongoing relationship with your customers. People have limited resources both in terms of money and time. Therefore, they want to maximize their enjoyment when they are playing (whether for real money, Gold, or Sweeps coins). The mantra is the same: be fair, be reasonable, and make a fun experience.
We always advise our readers to regard gambling as entertainment and not a money-making experience. No one expects to win (they might dream of doing so, but most savvy players understand that online gambling platforms are businesses); what they want is to have fun and feel they have spent their time well.
I would also remind operators to check where they can operate and not to promote in states that have ruled against sweepstakes casinos. And for any dual-market platform that advertises on Google, make sure you sort out your marketing strategies and accounts!
Thanks, Alexander, for the great advice.