Sweepstakes Casinos in Tennessee

Sweepstakes casinos are banned in Tennessee. Governor Bill Lee signed SB 2136 on May 22, 2026, and the law took effect immediately.

Every major dual-currency operator has exited the state. B-Two brands completed their full shutdown for Tennessee players on July 13, 2026.

Tennessee players are not without options. Card Crush operates in Tennessee on a single-currency model that sits outside the ban, and licensed sports betting and the state lottery remain available.

Key Facts

• SB 2136 was signed May 22, 2026 with no delayed implementation period.
• The law amends the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977 at T.C.A. Title 47, Chapter 18.
• Civil penalties run from $5,000 to $15,000 per violation.
• The statute reaches promoters and affiliates, not operators alone.
• Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issued cease-and-desist letters to roughly 40 operators in December 2025, months before the law passed.
• Gold-Coin-only social casinos with no redemption remain legal.
• Card Crush lists Tennessee among the 13 states where it operates.

What SB 2136 Prohibits

The statute defines a prohibited online sweepstakes game through three conditions. The platform must use virtual, dual, or multi-currency; that currency must be exchangeable for cash or prizes; and the game must simulate casino-style gambling.

A platform meeting all three is unlawful in Tennessee. Covered formats include slots, video poker, table games, bingo, and lottery-style games built on the dual-currency model.

The law does not create a criminal category. Violations are pursued as unfair or deceptive acts under civil consumer-protection statutes, carrying penalties of $5,000 to $15,000 per violation plus a consumer private right of action.

Prohibited	Exempt
Dual-currency sweepstakes casino games	Licensed sports betting under the Sports Wagering Council
Multi-currency slots, video poker, and table games	Daily fantasy sports
Lottery-style and bingo games using redeemable currency	Tennessee Education Lottery
Unlicensed sports wagering via sweepstakes platforms	Nonprofit gaming
	Gold-Coin-only games with no redemption

The Ban Reaches Promoters

SB 2136 makes operating or promoting a prohibited platform unlawful. Liability extends to promoters and affiliates rather than platforms alone.

That distinguishes Tennessee from states penalising operators while leaving promotion unaddressed. No Tennessee-targeted affiliate promotion of dual-currency platforms is permissible.

How Tennessee Enforced the Ban

Tennessee did not wait for the May 2026 signing. Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issued cease-and-desist letters to approximately 40 operators in December 2025.

Skrmetti publicly characterised sweepstakes casinos as deceptive operations designed to take players’ money. That campaign triggered market exits months before SB 2136 became law.

Date	Event
December 2025	AG Skrmetti issues cease-and-desist letters to around 40 operators
Late 2025 to early 2026	Major operators restrict or remove Tennessee access
March 2026	SB 2136 passes the Tennessee Senate
May 22, 2026	Governor Lee signs the bill; effective immediately
July 13, 2026	B-Two brands complete full shutdown for Tennessee players

Operators That Left

The exits covered nearly every major brand in the category.

• VGW brands, covering Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker, exited after the December 2025 letters.
• A1 Development brands, covering NoLimitCoins, FortuneWheelz, TaoFortune, FunzCity, Funrize, and Stormrush, exited.
• B-Two brands, covering McLuck, Play Fame, SpinBlitz, and Hello Millions, first removed Sweeps Coins play and then went fully offline on July 13, 2026.
• Mega Bonanza lists Tennessee on its excluded-states list.
• High 5 Casino, RealPrize, and ClubWPT Gold also removed Tennessee access.

Operator statuses change without public announcement. Confirm directly with any platform.

What Tennessee Players Can Play Now

Card Crush

Card Crush is available to Tennessee players aged 21 and older. It is operated by Vision NL Limited and launched in December 2025.

Card Crush runs a single-currency model rather than the dual-currency structure SB 2136 prohibits. That design is why it operates in Tennessee and in other states that have closed the sweepstakes market.

The platform pairs Mystery Coins with collectible Cards. Mystery Coins are the redeemable currency at 1 MC to $1.00 USD after a 1x playthrough. Cards build your deck for battles and tournaments and carry no cash value.

New players receive 2 Mystery Coins and 5 Cards, plus 66% off the first Mystery Box. The minimum cash withdrawal is 75 Mystery Coins, paid via Visa or Mastercard.

The format is an RPG-style card battler with casino-style games attached. Card battles are the primary engine for earning Mystery Coins, which is the structural difference from a conventional sweepstakes lobby.

Feature	Detail
Operator	Vision NL Limited
Currency model	Single currency; Mystery Coins plus non-redeemable Cards
Redemption rate	1 Mystery Coin = $1.00 USD
Playthrough	1x
Minimum withdrawal	75 Mystery Coins
Payout methods	Visa and Mastercard
Welcome offer	2 Mystery Coins and 5 Cards
Minimum age	21+
States served	13, including Tennessee

State availability can change. Verify Tennessee eligibility at the sign-up screen before registering.

Gold-Coin-Only Social Casinos

Free-to-play social casinos using only Gold Coins, with no Sweeps Coins and no redemption pathway, fall outside SB 2136.

If a platform offers no redeemable currency and no way to convert anything to cash or prizes, it is outside the scope of the ban.

Licensed Sports Betting and the Lottery

Tennessee regulates online sports betting through the Sports Wagering Council. Licensed sportsbooks are explicitly exempt from SB 2136. Players must be 21 or older.

The Tennessee Education Lottery, including its iLottery app, is state-run and unaffected by the ban. Players must be 18 or older.

Clovr Partner Platforms and Where They Operate

Clovr reviews a roster of dual-currency sweepstakes platforms including Mega Bonanza, McLuck, Play Fame, Playtana, Hello Millions, SpinBlitz, Stormrush, Vegasway, TaoFortune, NoLimitCoins, FortuneWheelz, Funrize, Jackpot Rabbit, ScarletSands, and Crown Coins.

None of these platforms are available to Tennessee players. All operate on the dual-currency model that SB 2136 prohibits, and all have either exited Tennessee or list it as an excluded state.

These platforms remain available in states where sweepstakes casinos are legal, including Georgia, Texas, Florida, Kansas, South Carolina, and Massachusetts. Clovr maintains state guides for those markets.

Tennessee residents should not attempt to access these platforms. Using a VPN to bypass geo-blocking violates operator terms and voids any accumulated balance.

Why Tennessee Rejected the Model

Sweepstakes casinos run two parallel currencies. Gold Coins are free-play with no cash value. Sweeps Coins are redeemable for cash prizes and cannot be purchased directly.

Operators historically used a free entry route to remove consideration from the three-element lottery test, keeping the model outside gambling classification in most states.

Tennessee rejected that framing. The legislature defined the dual-currency mechanic itself as unlawful, regardless of whether a player paid for Sweeps Coins or obtained them free.

The free entry defence no longer applies in Tennessee. Any platform issuing a currency redeemable for value falls within the ban.

Pre-Ban Balances and Tax

Operators have closed Tennessee player access. If you held a balance at the time of exit, contact the operator’s support channel and follow their stated wind-down instructions.

Redemption windows vary by operator and change without notice.

Federal income tax applies to Sweeps Coins redemptions completed before May 22, 2026. Redemptions of $600 or more may be reported on Form 1099-MISC.

Tennessee has no state income tax, so no state-level reporting obligation applies. This is general information and does not constitute tax advice.

Avoid Offshore Sites

Some players look to unregulated offshore gambling sites after a ban. Offshore operators carry no US consumer protections and offer no recourse for disputes, withheld winnings, or data misuse.

Clovr does not route readers to offshore gambling platforms.

Tennessee in the National Picture

Tennessee is one of several states that prohibited the dual-currency model across 2025 and 2026. Montana was first, with SB 555 taking effect in October 2025.

State	Mechanism	Effective
Montana	SB 555	October 2025
California	AB 831	January 1, 2026
Tennessee	SB 2136	May 22, 2026
Indiana	HB 1052	July 1, 2026
Maine	LD 2007	July 29, 2026
Louisiana	Acts 182 and 48	August 1, 2026
Oklahoma	SB 1589	November 1, 2026

Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Nevada also restricted the category in 2025. Tennessee follows the same statutory logic as most of these states, prohibiting the mechanic itself rather than pursuing operators case by case.

Responsible Gaming

• Tennessee REDLINE: 1-800-889-9789
• National Council on Problem Gambling: 1-800-522-4700, available 24/7
• The Gambling Clinic at the University of Memphis