Where can I play Stake.us in 2025?

Can I play Stake.us in the US in 2025?

Stake.us, an online sweepstakes platform, has come under significant pressure to depart select states in the wake of multiple lawsuits against the firm.

Launched in 2022, the website operates in a decidedly gray area – as lawmakers seek to establish clear-cut rules on the legality of online sweepstakes casinos.

Unlike traditional online casinos, Stake.us is not regulated by authorities, at a state or federal level.

This is due to the platform’s usage of ‘Gold Coins’ and ‘Stake Cash’ in place of real money; most state legislatures do not preside over hard-and-fast rules on virtual tokens.

With no regulatory oversight providing consumer protection, individuals within a handful of states have taken legal matters into their own hands.

Stake.us controversy: Where it all began

In February 2025, Stake.us updated its ‘ of service’ to include additional states within the site’s ‘excluded territories’ subsection.

Regions such as New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware, West Virginia and Pennsylvania were each dropped from the operator’s list of accepted territories – with an email sent to ed players detailing an exit date of March 21.

Provisions against other US regions, including Washington, New York, Nevada, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont, Connecticut and Maryland are also present.

All s ed in states where Stake.us had previously served consumers are now locked to ‘redeem only’ – a feature that permits players to exchange ‘Stake Cash’ for actual money.

Access to deposits, bonuses and games is strictly prohibited.

While Stake.us has not outlined a precise explanation for its sudden exodus from several key states, a common trend exists between many of the aforementioned regions: regulated gambling frameworks.

It is believed that Stake.us has opted to retreat from areas where authorities may penalize unlicensed and unregulated platforms.

Moreover, the online casino is reported to have onboarded individuals who have self-excluded from licensed gambling vendors – with its unlicensed ventures in the regulated markets of Delaware, Rhode Island, West Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania leaving the door open to those suffering from problem gambling.

This is not just conjecture, either. Concerns pertaining to Stake.us’ stance on iGaming safety and marketing stand at the heart of a momentous lawsuit, issued by a Californian resident earlier this year…

Stake.us vs the people: Lawsuits galore

Dennis Boyle, a California citizen who identifies as someone who suffers from problem gambling, launched a case in March against Stake.us and the entity’s owner, Sweepsteaks, for falsely portraying itself as a sweepstakes platform.

Boyle alleged that the operator’s use of ‘Stake Cash’ – which can be transferred into tangible dollars – facilitates real money gambling.

Backed by a team of legal professionals, Boyle called on the state to punish Stake.us for inadequate customer induction procedures and failures to obtain relevant certification from California authorities.

He cited violations of the ‘Legal Remedies Act’ and the ‘Unfair Competitions Law’ in motions attacking the sweepstakes site.

Defending its business practices, Stake.us has remained steadfast that all in-house protocols align with statewide directives.

Further, the Stake.com sister website argued that Boyle knowingly and willingly opted in to the operator’s arbitration agreement upon creating an .

In a crucial pronouncement, presented in late May, the court declared that Stake.us “clearly and unmistakably” entrusts all arbitrations to a third-party arbitrator.

As a result, the court cannot and will not rule in favor of Boyle’s case.

Attempts by Boyle to challenge this ruling, which he dubbed “unconscionable”, fell in vain – as his argument that any contract signed by Stake.us players is illegal was dismissed by the judiciary.

In a final verdict, the court announced that “Boyle must arbitrate his claims with Sweepsteaks.”

The American Arbitration Association (AAA) is set to settle the dispute – though the outcome of this arbitration process is yet to be determined.

One of the nation’s most prominent sweepstakes and social gaming entities, the Social and Promotional Games Association, voiced for the court’s verdict: “This ruling affirms what we’ve long said: social sweepstakes sites are not gambling.

“They are free-to-play games enjoyed responsibly by millions of American adults, and no purchase is ever necessary to play or have a chance to win prizes.”

The AAA concluded its statement with a critical warning to opposing forces: “Anyone can file a lawsuit making any claims they like, this ruling is a reminder that facts – and the law – still matter.”

Other disputes still in play

Stake.us may have overcome its Californian adversary – but cases in Alabama and Illinois remain open.

The former, a lawsuit put forth on May 2, accuses Stake.us of distorting the truth by falsely marketing it as a legal sweepstakes website.

A statement by the plaintiff reads: “Stake will ask the court to disbelieve its own eyes and conclude that Stake.us is not really a gambling operation, but instead offers legal ‘sweepstakes’.

“That is an old gimmick that was once popular among criminals in the early 2000s.”

Using language similar to that laid out by Boyle, the lawsuit continues: “Stake engaged in unconscionable, false, misleading, or deceptive acts or practices… including causing plaintiff and class to believe Stake.us was approved and certified by the State of Alabama, when in fact it is illegal gambling.”

One month previous, an Illinois resident named Brayden Urdan filed litigation against Stake.us for rebranding its Stake.com platform to “mislead regulators and consumers into believing it offers harmless gameplay instead of unlawful gambling.”

Again, this action stems from Stake.us providing US online casino services without holding a valid license within a specific US jurisdiction.

Is Stake.us available in my state?

While decisions on proceedings in Alabama and Illinois remain in the air, Stake.us continues to supply online casino facilities to players in the remaining 36 states not listed on the operator’s list of excluded territories.

For clarity, a state-by-state breakdown of where Stake.us is currently available is available below: