Stake.us withdrew from Oklahoma on Oct. 30, two days before the state’s ban on online sweepstakes gaming took effect on Nov. 1. The operator’s help centre now lists Oklahoma among the states where it cannot accommodate players because of state regulations.
The restriction followed the enactment of SB 1589, which became law after the Oklahoma Legislature overrode Gov. Kevin Stitt’s veto. According to Bonus.com, the measure brings dual-currency games within the state’s existing gambling offence, closing operational routes that had relied on virtual-token models.
The law applies to dual-currency sweepstakes games and contains no exemption for poker products. Its reach also extends beyond operators to affiliates, suppliers and platform providers, while removing unregulated online poker options and promotional card rooms that used such models in Oklahoma.
The measure is targeted at a particular category of online gaming rather than all prize drawings or free mobile games. Some sweepstakes sites use separate currencies, with one for recreational play and another potentially redeemable for prizes under a site’s rules; offering free entries does not override state gambling restrictions.
Stake.us was part of a broader retreat by sweepstakes poker operators before the effective date. Clubs Poker also withdrew on Oct. 30, while Global Poker ended sweepstakes play for Oklahoma customers but retained its Gold Coin games; three of the four principal sweepstakes poker operators had pulled back before the law began.
Oklahoma’s legislation does not alter the law in neighbouring Texas or Arkansas. Public Gaming noted that an online advertisement displayed on a phone does not establish that an offer is available in every location, and that eligibility depends on the user’s location and the particular promotion involved.
