McLuck and Spree Casinos Defy Industry Exits, Reopen in Georgia and Alabama

As sweepstakes casino operators confirm their closures and withdrawals across the United States due to tightened regulations, two popular sites are bucking the trend. Both Spree and McLuck Casino have reopened their popular gaming platforms to players based in Georgina and Alabama, based on their updated T&Cs. McLuck’s players regained access to the platform last August 7th, while Spree reopened its doors this second week of September. 

Why Georgia and Alabama Were Previously Listed as McLuck’s Excluded States?

Alabama was previously included in McLuck’s excluded locations because of the ongoing state lawsuits against popular operators like Stake, VGW (Chumba Casino), and Blazesoft Limited (Sportzino and Fortune Coins). Last year, Georgia also filed the same case against VGW, but it was later dismissed. 

Then, there was Zula Casino that voluntarily exited Georgia, but it’s now operational. With these ongoing cases against popular operators, McLuck doesn’t want to risk its reputation and business. Now that McLuck has reopened, the business conditions may have changed.

Spree Reconsiders, Too, for a “Calculated Marketing Push”

Spree, a social casino owned by Play Spree Ltd, also saw the writing on the wall. With the VGW case and California’s ban complicating the equation, Spree’s operator saw a potential revenue decrease. Some analysts forecast a 17% revenue drop for social sweeps casino operators in 2025.

Weighing the cons, the Spree management took a calculated risk and reopened its doors to Alabama and Georgia players to “offset losses in bigger states”. With this latest decision, Spree’s list of restricted states is down to 13.

Looking Ahead: What These Reopenings Mean to Both Casinos, Sweeps Casino Industry in General?

McLuck and Spree’s reopening signals an interesting shift for the sweepstakes casino industry that’s facing heightened scrutiny in 2025. More importantly, these moves reflect the following themes:

• Reopenings reflect the social casinos’ strategic moves to recapture markets initially identified as “too risky” due to ongoing inquiries, but now represent opportunities;
• Georgia and Alabama were excluded due to aggressive litigation, with Alabama’s 18 active lawsuits;
• These reopenings reflect the operators’ recalibrated risk tolerance to offset losses in other areas

Now that McLuck and Spree are active and operational, they can offset potential losses in other areas, particularly California. This also reflects the growing challenge for sweeps casino operators—shape up or ship out. And for players, the return of these casinos translates to better gaming options and a potentially rewarding experience.

REFERENCES

• American Gaming Association
• Class Action