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Reviews of Online Gambling Sites New Jersey Bans Sweepstakes Casinos Under Bill A5447
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Quick Glance at the Facts
- Governor Phil Murphy signed Assembly Bill A5447 into law, banning dual-currency sweepstakes casinos across New Jersey, as of August 3rd.
- The measure cleared the New Jersey Assembly 69-10 in June and the Senate 34-5 in July before Murphy signed it into law.
- Operators that keep running face a $100,000 fine for a first offense and up to $250,000 for each later one, with every day counted as a separate offense.
New Jersey has banned sweepstakes casinos after Governor Phil Murphy signed Assembly Bill A5447 into law, as reported by PlayUSA as of August 2026. The law makes the state’s dual-currency Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins model illegal, and it leaves New Jersey’s licensed online casinos untouched.
What A5447 Actually Bans
A5447 prohibits the sweepstakes model of wagering whenever players must pay or provide an entry fee to play, according to the New Jersey Legislature. These sites hand players free-play Gold Coins and redeemable Sweeps Coins, the dual-currency setup that defines sweepstakes casinos. New Jersey now treats that model as illegal gambling.
The New Jersey Legislature’s bill record lists Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese as the sponsor and directs the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs and the Division of Gaming Enforcement to enforce the law. Operators face a $100,000 fine for a first offense and up to $250,000 for each later violation, and each day of operation counts as a separate offense.
Before the signing, eleven operators formed a coalition through the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance, formerly the Social and Promotional Games Association. The group’s executive director, Jeff Duncan, called the bills “the wrong solution to a misunderstood issue” and urged Murphy to veto A5447. The coalition argued the measure was rushed through to protect established casino interests. That push failed.
What Comes Next in New Jersey
New Jersey follows other states cracking down on sweepstakes casinos, and governors in Connecticut, Montana, and Nevada have signed similar bans. The Division of Consumer Affairs and the Division of Gaming Enforcement now handle enforcement, and operators that keep cash redemption running risk stacking daily fines. Watch for sweepstakes brands pulling out of the state and for how hard regulators push the new penalties.
New Jersey players lose access to dual-currency sweepstakes casinos, but the state’s licensed, regulated online casinos are not affected by A5447 and stay legal for players 21 and older inside state lines, as our New Jersey guide explains. Social casinos that offer no cash redemption sit outside this ban, and they remain a separate product from sweepstakes casinos.
GamblingNerd Take
New Jersey protecting its regulated market was predictable. Next to Nevada, New Jersey is the state with the most to lose from sweepstakes casinos and prediction markets.
For players, the practical change is simple. Your Sweeps Coins balances may stop redeeming, so cash out anything still pending and move to the state’s licensed online casinos. Expect more states to copy this approach soon.
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