VGW Holdings, the father or mother firm of World Poker, has revealed that it’s ending Promotional Play (Sweeps Cash) for its New York prospects. Sweeps Cash characterize the one manner of acquiring actual cash winnings from the positioning, so this successfully implies that NY residents can be restricted to play cash video games. The information was introduced in an electronic mail to prospects on Could 29, 2025.
Extra Concerning the World Poker Setup
World Poker straddles an odd line between conventional offshore poker websites and state-licensed on-line poker operators. It provides money video games, sit n’ gos, and tournaments the place customers can win worthwhile money prizes, identical to different poker websites, but it surely claims to not be internet hosting actual cash gaming, exempting it from varied state anti-gambling legal guidelines.
World Poker Web siteAllegedly, prospects who buy chips are shopping for play cash Gold Cash solely. As an incentive, World Poker grants them a sure variety of Sweeps Cash with their purchases. These Sweeps Cash can be utilized to purchase into video games that pay out in Sweeps Cash and may finally be redeemed for financial institution transfers and present playing cards. World Poker, nevertheless, classifies these income as sweepstakes winnings.
With a view to preserve its story that Sweeps Cash aren’t actual cash, World sells a number of packages of Gold Cash alone with none corresponding Sweeps Cash included. Moreover, it provides a manner for customers to mail in envelopes to assert a small variety of Sweeps and in addition provides out tiny quantities of Sweeps every single day {that a} participant logs in to the web site.
World Poker New York Timeline
Within the electronic mail despatched to its NY customers, World outlined a sequence of key dates pertaining to the restrictions on prospects inside the state. This identical info appeared in a pop-up window proven to New Yorkers upon logging into the World Poker platform:
Message From World Poker to New YorkersBeginning June 2, New Yorkers have been blocked from gathering any new Sweeps Cash. They’ll not obtain Sweeps with their purchases of Gold Cash, through login bonuses, by way of the era of latest postal request codes, or by claiming bonus Sweeps provides. They’ll nonetheless, nevertheless, play with their current Sweeps and probably win extra on the tables.
Starting July 2, New York customers can be blocked from the Sweeps Cash tables. On this date, no extra mail-in requests for Sweeps can be processed both. Nonetheless, affected customers will retain the flexibility to alternate their Sweeps for redemptions.
Aug. 1 marks the date on which Sweeps prize redemptions will finish for the State of New York. After this date, all Sweeps Cash in New York gamers’ accounts will successfully change into nugatory as a result of redemption can be inconceivable.
What About VGW’s Different Manufacturers?
Moreover working World Poker, VGW additionally runs Chumba On line casino and Luckyland Slots. All of them function utilizing an analogous sweepstakes mannequin. The primary distinction is that World hosts peer-to-peer poker video games along with on line casino fare whereas Chumba and Luckyland lack poker rooms and focus completely on on line casino video games, like slots and blackjack.
House Web page of Chumba On line casino, One in all World Poker’s Sister WebsitesIn line with the knowledge we have seen, VGW can be withdrawing Chumba On line casino and Luckyland Slots from New York. Affected prospects have been despatched emails much like those obtained by World Poker customers.
Cause for Departure
Relating to its causes for exiting the New York market, World’s electronic mail stated solely:
We perceive this information could also be disappointing, and wish to guarantee you that this choice wasn’t made flippantly—it was fastidiously thought of based mostly on a number of enterprise components.
These “enterprise components” could embody the truth that there is a invoice (S5935) going by way of the legislative course of in New York that may ban on-line sweepstakes playing video games of the kind that World Poker provides. Underneath the provisions of this invoice:
… It shall be illegal for any applicant, licensed entity, gaming worker, key worker, particular person investor or funding agency, board member, or some other individual or entity to function, conduct, or promote on-line sweepstakes video games inside the state of New York.
It could seem that World Poker is performing out of an overabundance of warning on condition that the invoice has not but handed into legislation. Nevertheless, choice makers at rival sweepstakes gaming operators have made comparable departures from New York just lately, so it is seemingly that they are aware about data that is not but obtainable to most people. In March 2025, Excessive 5 On line casino determined to go away the Empire State, adopted by McLuck and Good day Tens of millions in April. Golf equipment Poker deserted the state at across the identical time VGW made its announcement.
World’s Attain Diminishing
Initially claiming to be authorized in all 50 states when it launched in February 2017, World Poker has since withdrawn from a number of states. It at the moment blocks residents of eight states from full entry to its Sweeps poker merchandise.
Some latest departures for World are Connecticut, which it exited in September 2024, and Delaware, which the corporate left in April 2025. In each circumstances, World Poker obtained notifications from state authorities who felt that its enterprise was opposite to state legislation. Within the case of New York, we’ve not seen something indicating that the Gaming Fee had any such communication with World Poker, however there may be the likelihood that it occurred and neither occasion made this truth public.
When it first opened its doorways for enterprise, World Poker’s sweepstakes mannequin was a singular promoting level and represented a artistic manner of circumventing gaming legal guidelines. Nevertheless, a rising variety of jurisdictions at the moment are declaring its enterprise philosophy to be unsound. In 2025, Montana, Connecticut, Nevada, and Louisiana have all both handed laws outlawing on-line sweepstakes casinos or have such payments awaiting their governors’ signatures.
This pattern reveals no indicators of reversing anytime quickly. Thus, World’s prospects for future progress appear tenuous at greatest, and the agency could discover itself combating a slowly dropping battle with regulators over the approaching years.
Different New York Poker Websites Beckon
There are nonetheless plenty of offshore poker web sites that welcome New Yorkers. In line with each state and federal legislation, particular person gamers aren’t topic to any authorized penalties for patronizing these websites. Due to this fact, whether or not you are a World Poker buyer in search of a brand new poker residence or just somebody fascinated with taking part in poker from the State of New York, you have got choices obtainable.
Maybe the most effective web poker site for New York residents is BetOnline. You may get a poker bonus of 100% as much as $1,000 along with your first deposit. Click on the button under to get began:
For more information about BOL, try this thorough BetOnline Poker evaluation. In case you are inquisitive about different NY-friendly on-line poker choices, look to this web page about the most effective New York offshore poker websites. If you happen to reside elsewhere within the nation, head over to this information to on-line poker within the USA.
June 8, 2025 – by Max Golden, Editor-in-Chief
