USA
On July 1, 2024, one of the leading sweepstakes casino operators, High 5 Casino, suddenly changed the minimum legal age requirement to 21 on its platform, effectively suspending thousands of accounts opened by players between 18 and 20 years of age.
Before the first of July, an email correspondence with High 5 Casino included information about the legal age requirement, which is 18+. A similar email on July 1 stated that the minimum age for accessing High 5 Casino is 21+.
The minimum age change came without warning and seemingly happened overnight without official notice to players. So, players younger than 21 can not access their accounts, and it’s unclear if anyone who turned 21 since the first of July can log in and access their funds and make redemptions or if their accounts are permanently closed.
Before changing their policies, High 5 Casino had a minimum age requirement of 18 to access and play and 21 years to make redemptions. With that in mind, players under 21 with a sweepstakes coins balance wouldn’t be eligible for redeemable payouts.
No Explanation for Raising the Minimum Age Requirement
We’re left to speculate why High 5 Casino raised its minimum age requirement to 21. One possible reason is that sweepstakes casino operators came under scrutiny by the broader gambling industry in 2024.
As late as last month, the American Gaming Association (AGA) came down hard on sweepstakes operators, urging gaming regulators and state attorneys general to investigate companies or platforms that offer casino games under the “sweepstakes casino” model. They called on policymakers to determine whether or not these operators are in compliance with federal and state laws and take necessary action if needed.
This year, Michigan became the second state after Washington to explicitly ban sweepstakes casinos. The Michigan Gaming Control Board issued several cease-and-desist orders to operators to kick everyone out of the state.
Several class-action lawsuits have also been filed in recent months. Most recently, plaintiff Destiny Kennedy, on behalf of herself and all citizens of Georgia, sued VGW Holding Limited (and its subsidiaries) for actively operating and marketing internet gambling websites in Georgia, where online casinos are illegal. VGW is a prominent company that operates several of the largest sweepstakes casinos, including Chumba Casino, Luckyland Slots, and Global Poker.
It could be that High 5 Casino raised its minimum age to 21 to match the minimum legal age requirement for real-money online casino gaming. All seven states where online casinos are currently legal have set a minimum age requirement of 21.
This way, High 5 Casino acts in good faith by raising the minimum age and will be closer to the right side of the law if there’s a broader crackdown on sweepstakes operators. They offer casino games under the sweepstakes model, but they only provide them to people who are 21+ and of legal age to play in real-money online casinos. Generally, it’s not uncommon for companies to change policies and business practices ahead of legal requirements to please regulators.
The Sweepstakes Casino Industry is a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry
Sweepstakes casinos are particularly popular in states where regular online casinos are illegal. A recent report from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming estimated that $5.6 billion was spent on coin purchases in 2023, resulting in $2 billion in net revenue for sweepstakes operators. They estimate that the industry had a CAGR of 85% between 2019 and 2023 and that coin purchases can reach $11.4 billion in 2025.
Many sweepstake operators are outside the United States, meaning they pay taxes in other jurisdictions. This results in hundreds of millions of dollars in unrealized tax revenue for US authorities, which will likely prompt policymakers around the United States to act fast in regulating the industry.
High 5 Casino Minimum Age Requirement May Set a New Trend for the Sweepstakes Industry
High 5 Casino is a leading sweepstakes operator. When evaluating sweepstakes sites, we found them to be the best. As such, they have considerable influence, and changing the minimum age requirement to 21 may cause other operators to change their policies. Overall, from my point of view, this is a positive change because people 18 years of age shouldn't be able to play casino games under these circumstances when similar options have 21 as the legal age requirement.
Suppose my reasoning behind High 5 Casino’s decision is correct. In that case, other companies like VGW Holdings Limited and Blazesoft Limited (Fortune Coins, Zula Casino, Sportzino) will likely adjust their minimum age requirements to 21. Once more than one of the industry leaders makes the change, the rest are likely to follow in their footsteps. You’ll still have sites offering sweepstakes from 18 years old, but these will be the less prominent and more sus operators that players are better off staying away from.
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