A bill proposing a ban on online sweepstakes casinos, Oklahoma SB 1589, has advanced unanimously through a House committee. If enacted, the bill would make operating such platforms a felony and includes a specific carveout for tribal nations to run their own online social casinos.
Oklahoma's Senate Bill 1589, which would expand the state's gambling definitions to cover virtual currencies and sweepstakes casinos, cleared the House Criminal Judiciary Committee with a 6-0 vote on April 7, 2025, according to a Covers.com report citing the Oklahoma Legislature. Tennessee's House Bill 1885, which targets any virtual currency system used in sweepstakes or social casinos, is on the calendar for the House Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee after passing the House State and Local Government Committee on March 31, 2025, according to a Covers.com report citing the Tennessee Legislature.
If enacted, both bills would restrict or eliminate sweepstakes casino access for players in their respective states. Sweepstakes casinos operate under sweepstakes law rather than gaming licenses and allow players to redeem virtual currencies for cash prizes. The bills reflect an accelerating regulatory push against the sweepstakes model, which operators in multiple states are already navigating through legal and product changes.
SB 1589, introduced by Sen. Todd Gollihare and Rep. Scott Fetgatter, passed the Oklahoma Senate 48-0 in March 2025, according to a Covers.com report citing the Oklahoma Legislature. The bill now heads to the House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee.
The bill would expand Oklahoma's definition of gambling to include online sweepstakes casinos and virtual currencies tied to cash-equivalent rewards, according to the Covers.com report. Violations would be a class C2 felony, punishable by a fine of $500 to $2,000.
The bill includes a tribal exemption. Tribal operators could run online social casinos on tribal lands under the proposal, per the Covers.com report. That exemption would not extend to off-reservation commercial sweepstakes operators.
If passed and signed by the governor, SB 1589 would take effect November 1, 2025.
Tennessee's HB 1885 takes a broader approach than some similar legislation. The bill avoids specific references to dual-currency systems and targets any virtual currency system used in sweepstakes or social casinos, according to the Covers.com report.
Some operators, including Card Crush and ClubWPT Gold, have shifted to single-currency systems to navigate laws targeting dual-currency structures, per the Covers.com report. HB 1885's broader language may close that workaround.
Tennessee's legislative session ends April 24, 2025, leaving limited time for HB 1885 to complete the legislative process.
SB 1589 must clear the House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee before advancing to the full Oklahoma House. HB 1885 must pass the Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee and then the full committee before reaching the Tennessee House floor. Both bills face tight deadlines before their respective legislative sessions conclude.
The exact text of both bills, the full list of states that have passed similar measures, and official statements from legislators were not available in the source material reviewed for this report.
Regulatory source · Tier 1 · oklegislature.gov · Accessed 2026-04-11T07:00:11.422Z
Supports: Reported topic: Bill Information for SB 1589 - Oklahoma Legislature
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Regulatory source · Tier 1 · oksenate.gov · Accessed 2026-04-11
Supports: Reported topic: Senate Journal Jan 01, 2002 - Oklahoma Senate
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Regulatory source · Tier 1 · oksenate.gov · Accessed 2026-04-11
Supports: Reported topic: Senate Journal Feb 06, 2012 - Oklahoma Senate
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Regulatory source · Tier 1 · oklahoma.gov · Accessed 2026-04-11
Supports: Reported topic: Attorney General Opinion 2024-7 The Honorable Chris Kannady.
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Regulatory source · Tier 1 · oksenate.gov · Accessed 2026-04-11
Supports: Reported topic: Senate Audio and Video
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Regulatory source · Tier 1 · former.okhouse.gov · Accessed 2026-04-11
Supports: Reported topic: House Audio/Video - Oklahoma House of Representatives
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Source · Unclassified · yahoo.com · Accessed 2026-04-11T07:00:12.044Z
Supports: Reported topic: Oklahoma Sweepstakes Ban Advances to House Committee - Yahoo
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Source · Unclassified · rg.org · Accessed 2026-04-11T07:00:12.044Z
Supports: Reported topic: Oklahoma SB 1589 Advances as Sweepstakes Casino Ban Gains.
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Source · Unclassified · gamblinginsider.com · Accessed 2026-04-11T07:00:12.044Z
Supports: Reported topic: Oklahoma Sweepstakes Ban Bill Advances Through House.
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Source · Unclassified · igaming.org · Accessed 2026-05-13
Supports: Source URL topic: oklahoma sweepstakes ban bill clears another house step
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Source · Unclassified · thelines.com · Accessed 2026-04-11T07:00:11.422Z
Supports: Reported topic: Oklahoma Sweepstakes Casino Ban Bill Advances in Legislature
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Source · Unclassified · covers.com · Accessed 2026-04-11T07:00:11.422Z
Supports: Reported topic: Oklahoma Sweepstakes Ban Advances to House Committee
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