The VGW New York settlement requires VGW Holdings Pty. Ltd. and its affiliates to pay $8 million following a New York Attorney General investigation into the company’s sweepstakes casino operations in the state. The agreement covers Chumba Casino, Global Poker, and LuckyLand Slots, and its Assurance of Discontinuance became effective on August 31, 2026.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the settlement on September 9, 2026. VGW neither admitted nor denied the Attorney General’s investigative findings, and the agreement is not an admission of liability.
What the VGW New York Settlement Requires
Under the agreement, VGW must pay $8 million in disgorgement, penalties, and costs within 14 days of the agreement’s effective date.
The Assurance of Discontinuance became effective on August 31, 2026. That date also began a one-year period during which certain New York consumers may request redemption of eligible Sweeps Coins under the conditions established by the settlement.
The agreement concerns VGW and its affiliates in connection with:
- Chumba Casino
- Global Poker
- LuckyLand Slots
The settlement followed earlier action involving VGW’s New York operations. On April 25, 2025, the New York Attorney General warned VGW to stop prohibited gambling activity.
VGW voluntarily stopped offering Sweeps Coins to New York residents on June 2, 2025. It then gave New York customers an August 1, 2025 deadline to redeem Sweeps Coins during the phaseout.
VGW New York Settlement Timeline
The main dates show how the New York matter developed:
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| April 25, 2025 | New York Attorney General warned VGW to stop prohibited gambling activity. |
| June 2, 2025 | VGW voluntarily stopped offering Sweeps Coins to New York residents. |
| August 1, 2025 | VGW’s phaseout redemption deadline for New York customers. |
| December 5, 2025 | New York S.5935A was signed as Chapter 605 and took effect immediately. |
| August 31, 2026 | The Assurance of Discontinuance became effective. |
| September 9, 2026 | Attorney General Letitia James announced the $8 million settlement. |
The settlement and New York’s sweepstakes law are separate developments in this timeline.
What the VGW New York Settlement Means for Players
For New York players, VGW had already stopped offering Sweeps Coins to residents of the state in June 2025 and provided an August 2025 phaseout redemption deadline.
Gambling Insider reported on VGW’s 2025 New York withdrawal, including the June 2 end of new Sweeps Coin collection and the August 1 redemption deadline.
The VGW New York settlement now provides an additional redemption opportunity for a more specific group of consumers.
For one year following the August 31, 2026 effective date, certain New York consumers who did not previously receive VGW’s phaseout notification may request redemption of eligible Sweeps Coins that were in their accounts as of June 2, 2025.
That provision does not automatically apply to every former New York VGW customer. Consumers should review the settlement terms and VGW communications to determine whether the conditions apply to them.
Players reviewing older communications can also see our guide to sweepstakes casino account notifications.
VGW Did Not Admit Liability
An important part of the VGW New York settlement is the language addressing VGW’s position on the Attorney General’s investigative findings.
VGW neither admitted nor denied those findings. The agreement also states that it is not an admission of liability.
That distinction is important when describing the VGW New York settlement and its terms. The $8 million payment and other settlement requirements are terms of the agreement, but they should not be described as an admission by VGW of the investigative findings or liability.
Players reviewing older accounts should focus on the actual settlement terms and applicable communications rather than assumptions about what the agreement represents.
New York Sweepstakes Law Took Effect in 2025
New York separately enacted legislation prohibiting covered online sweepstakes games.
S.5935A was signed as Chapter 605 on December 5, 2025, and took effect immediately that day. PlayUSA reported on the enactment of New York’s sweepstakes casino ban following the governor’s signature.
The sequence matters. VGW stopped offering Sweeps Coins to New York residents on June 2, 2025, and its original redemption deadline was August 1, 2025. Both events occurred before S.5935A was signed and became law in December.
The earlier VGW phaseout should therefore be kept separate from the later enactment of the statewide sweepstakes law.
Players tracking activity across multiple services can use our guide on how to organize sweepstakes casino accounts to keep platform information and communications easier to review.
Who May Qualify for the Additional Redemption Period?
The settlement’s additional redemption provision applies to a specific group of consumers rather than every former New York VGW user.
The relevant questions are:
- Did the consumer previously receive VGW’s phaseout notification?
- Were eligible Sweeps Coins in the account as of June 2, 2025?
- Is the request being made within the one-year period following August 31, 2026?
Consumers should rely on the settlement terms and applicable VGW communications when determining whether the additional redemption provision applies.
Players who no longer intend to use an older account can also review what to consider when closing a sweepstakes casino account.
What the VGW New York Settlement Means Now
The VGW New York settlement adds another stage to a process that began before New York formally enacted its statewide sweepstakes casino prohibition.
VGW had already stopped offering Sweeps Coins to New York residents in June 2025. The August 31, 2026 agreement now requires an $8 million payment and provides a one-year redemption opportunity for certain consumers who did not receive the earlier phaseout notification and otherwise meet the settlement conditions.
For players, the main points are the eligibility conditions, the dates attached to the settlement, and the distinction between the settlement and the later New York statute.
For more sweepstakes gaming news, platform information, and player resources, visit GameSweeps.
Disclaimer: For informational purposes only; not legal advice. For adults 18+ only. No purchase necessary where applicable; eligibility varies and sweepstakes are void where prohibited.