Reform tracker

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 831 on October 11, 2025, and it took effect January 1, 2026. The law, Chapter 623 of the 2025 statutes, adds Penal Code Section 337o and prohibits online sweepstakes games that use a dual-currency system, simulate gambling, and award cash or cash equivalents, with liability also extending to entities that knowingly facilitate them.

Source: Bookmakers Review

Stake.us told California users it would cease gameplay in the state on December 30, 2025, two days before AB 831 took effect. Accounts were placed in redeem-only mode, with purchases, promotions and new registrations blocked and a December 31, 2025 deadline to redeem Sweeps Coins balances.

Source: CasinoReviews.net

Thrillzz's Games Terms of Use list California among the states where users must not be physically located to access the services, purchase Thrillzz Coins, or enter a contest or sweepstakes. The exclusion is consistent with the January 1, 2026 effective date of AB 831 for dual-currency sweepstakes models.

Source: Thrillzz (official terms)

A review summarizing ReBet's Sweepstakes Official Rules states that the rules exclude California, along with Arizona, Connecticut, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Tennessee. ReBet is described as unavailable for sweepstakes play in California following the January 1, 2026 ban on redeemable sweepstakes currencies.

Source: American Casino Sweeps

On July 3, 2025, Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a formal opinion concluding that daily fantasy sports, in both draft-style and pick'em formats, constitute sports wagering prohibited by Penal Code Section 337a. The opinion is advisory rather than a court order, and reporting at the time said DraftKings, FanDuel and Underdog indicated they would continue or discuss next steps.

Source: Field Level Media

On January 31, 2024, the Florida Gaming Control Commission sent cease-and-desist letters to PrizePicks, Betr and Underdog Fantasy directing them to stop offering pick'em contests in Florida within 30 days. The commission said the against-the-house contests amounted to illegal bets or wagers and illegal lotteries under Florida law.

Source: Casino.org

On October 3, 2023, the New York State Gaming Commission voted unanimously to adopt fantasy sports rules stating that contests shall not be based on proposition betting or have the effect of mimicking proposition betting. The rules prohibit contests in which a contestant must choose whether an athlete or team will surpass an identified statistical achievement.

Source: VIXIO

Michigan Gaming Control Board administrative rules for fantasy contests took effect October 11, 2023, providing that operators may not offer contests that have the effect of mimicking betting on sports or that involve prop bets. PrizePicks stopped offering paid pick'em contests in Michigan following the rule change.

Source: LegalClarity

In February 2024 the Massachusetts Attorney General's office sent cease-and-desist letters to 10 fantasy operators offering against-the-house pick'em games, including Yahoo Daily Fantasy, Sleeper and Chalkboard. PrizePicks and Underdog were not among the recipients and instead agreed to move to peer-to-peer formats in the state, with PrizePicks stating its Arena game would start March 8, 2024.

Source: Saturday Down South

The Wyoming Gaming Commission sent cease-and-desist letters dated July 5, 2023 to PrizePicks and Underdog Fantasy, stating that their player-vs.-house pick'em offerings appeared to fall under Wyoming's definition of sports wagering. The letters cited possible violations of Wyoming gambling and online sports wagering laws.

Source: Legal Sports Report

On December 5, 2025, the Arizona Department of Gaming issued a Notice of Violation and Intent to Revoke Underdog Sports' fantasy contest license, citing its partnership with Crypto.com for sports event contracts. The department said the notice was subject to the administrative appeal process, no final determination had been made, and Underdog remained authorized to operate pending the outcome. This action concerned prediction markets, not Underdog's pick'em product itself.

Source: Bookmakers Review

On December 3, 2025, Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection ordered Kalshi, Robinhood Derivatives and Crypto.com to cease offering sports event contracts to Connecticut residents, calling them unlicensed online sports wagering. The department said none held a Connecticut sports wagering license and ordered the platforms to allow residents to withdraw funds; Kalshi said it had filed suit in federal court.

Source: CoinDesk

On April 28, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey granted Kalshi a preliminary injunction against the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. The court reasoned that Kalshi's sports-related event contracts fall within the CFTC's exclusive jurisdiction under the Commodity Exchange Act, and New Jersey appealed to the Third Circuit.

Source: Benesch Law

On April 6, 2026, a divided Third Circuit panel affirmed the preliminary injunction barring New Jersey from enforcing its gambling laws against Kalshi. The majority held that sports event contracts traded on a CFTC-registered designated contract market are swaps under the Commodity Exchange Act and that the Act preempts state regulation of those contracts; Judge Roth dissented.

Source: Holland & Knight

On November 24, 2025, U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon dissolved the preliminary injunction he had granted Kalshi in April 2025 against Nevada regulators. He ruled that Kalshi's interpretation of the Commodity Exchange Act would upset decades of federalism regarding gaming regulation and was contrary to Congress's intent.

Source: SiGMA

In May 2025 the CFTC moved to drop its D.C. Circuit appeal of a district court ruling that it lacked authority to block Kalshi's congressional-control election contracts, leaving that ruling in place. Reporting in February 2026 also stated that CFTC Chairman Michael Selig said the agency had withdrawn its 2024 proposed rule that would have prohibited political and sports-related event contracts.

Source: CoinDesk

New York Assembly Bill A9251, the Oversight and Regulation of Activity for Contracts Linked to Events (ORACLE) Act, was introduced and referred to the Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee on November 7, 2025. Summaries of the bill state it would ban markets related to catastrophic events, politics, deaths, securities and athletic events for New York users, set a minimum age of 21, and require self-exclusion and other consumer protections.

Source: BillTrack50 (NY A09251)

Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative Paul Tonko announced the reintroduction of the SAFE Bet Act (cited as S.1033 and H.R.2087) in March 2025. The bill would set national standards for sports betting on marketing, affordability and artificial intelligence, including banning sports betting broadcast ads from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and during live sporting events, and prohibiting inducement language such as 'bonus' and 'no sweat'.

Source: GambleRss (summarizing SAFE Bet Act announcement)

On February 7, 2025, Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative Andrea Salinas reintroduced the Gambling Addiction Recovery, Investment, and Treatment (GRIT) Act, first introduced in the 118th Congress. According to the sponsors, the bill would designate existing federal funds, including a share of the federal sports betting excise tax, for gambling addiction research, prevention and treatment through the Department of Health and Human Services.

Source: Office of Senator Richard Blumenthal

Described on its own site as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy network with members in all 50 states, led by National Director Les Bernal since 2008. Its Idealist listing states its funding comes from board giving, individual donations and smaller foundations and that it does not accept funding from commercialized gambling interests; verify the funding statement on the listing before republishing it as a directory claim.

A nonprofit legal research center founded in 1979 and located at Northeastern University School of Law, per its own descriptions reproduced by PR Newswire. It formed the Center for Public Health Litigation in 2014 and works on gambling policy and litigation; it is a university institute, not an operator-funded trade group, based on the sources reviewed.

Verified name is Campaign for Gambling-Free Kids, not Campaign for Gambling-Free Childhoods. Its guide promotes restricting gambling advertising and sponsorship, especially in sports. Its 2021 guide carries a Stop Predatory Gambling address and website in the footer, suggesting a close association with that organization; confirm the current organizational relationship before listing it as fully independent.

UK jurisdiction. A charity founded in 2018 by families bereaved by gambling-related suicide; its site states it runs the UK's only support service for families bereaved by gambling-related suicide, that the service is independent of gambling industry influence, and that it campaigns for a public health approach. Registered charity number 1184114 is listed in UK charity directories.

Not a pure advocacy nonprofit: it is a commercial consultancy (EPG Business Limited) that describes itself as an independent gambling harm minimization consultancy and sells training and advisory services to gambling operators, sports bodies, regulators and schools. Its site states its training is guided by independent research and independently evaluated; list it as a consultancy, not as an industry-free campaign group.