Pragmatic Play has decided to leave the US Social Casino Market, also known as the Sweepstakes Market, as of September 2025. They are the first big game supplier to do this because of growing legal challenges and stricter regulations.
The company’s departure follows a civil enforcement action filed by the City of Los Angeles against Stake.us, a prominent sweepstakes casino platform that featured Pragmatic Play’s games.
Although Pragmatic Play was not a defendant, being mentioned in the lawsuit alongside other suppliers (such as Evolution and Hacksaw Gaming) significantly heightened compliance concerns.
What is Pragmatic Play?
Pragmatic Play is a top company in online gaming, known for offering a wide range of fun and legal games worldwide. They focus on staying up-to-date with rules and laws in different areas and offer products like slot machines, live casino games, bingo, virtual sports, and sports betting solutions.
The company started in 2015 and is based in Gibraltar, with other offices in Malta, the UK, Romania, Bulgaria, the Philippines, and India.
It is privately owned by a group guided by Veridian (Gibraltar) Limited and led by CEO Julian Jarvis.
Pragmatic Play is praised for being creative and delivering high-quality products, having won multiple awards, including Best Casino Software Supplier at the EGR B2B Awards 2023 and Live Casino of the Year at the International Gaming Awards 2024.
Why Would Pragmatic Play Leave The Sweepstakes Casino Scene?
This move is seen as mainly compliance-driven; evolving state-level legislation and an intensifying legal climate around sweepstakes gambling prompted the company to preemptively leave before further restrictions were imposed.
Industry Implications Pragmatic Play’s decision is viewed as an effort to "clean up its compliance record" to position itself for future opportunities in the more regulated US iGaming market—possibly signaling plans to pursue partnerships in legal state markets with major operators like FanDuel and DraftKings.
The exit is indicative of a broader industry shift, as other content suppliers such as Evolution have also withdrawn from Stake.us, likely in anticipation of tightening regulations and possible criminal liability outlined in new legislation (e.g., California’s AB 831 and AB837 bills).
Some Companies Already Shy Away from Sweepstakes and Social Casino Games
Some competitors (like Play’n GO and Light & Wonder) have publicly stated they do not and will not supply sweepstakes casinos, reaffirming a growing industry focus on regulated markets.
Impact on Players and Market Players will notice the removal of popular Pragmatic Play slots and games, such as Sweet Bonanza and Gates of Olympus, from top sweepstakes casino sites, including Stake.us and High5 Casino.
The shift could lead to a reduced variety of high-quality games in the sweepstakes sector but may also foster a more regulated, legally compliant environment.
What is Next For the Sweepstakes Casino Industry?
Pragmatic Play’s move is interpreted not as a retreat but as a reset—they leave the gray-area sweeps scene to potentially return through fully regulated, licensed channels in the future.
The company remains active internationally and may be preparing for US state-by-state licensing if and when the regulated online casino market expands.
The exit from the US social casino market is a significant response to mounting regulatory and legal challenges, with implications for both industry participants and consumers.
