McLuck and Crown Coins Still Operate in Illinois 8 Months After Cease-and-Desist Letters

Eight months after the Illinois Gaming Board sent cease-and-desist letters to more than 60 online sweepstakes and casino operators, compliance remains mixed, according to an October 26, 2026 report from Deadspin. McLuck and Crown Coins Casino were both still accepting Illinois players as of late September 2026, and neither operator has publicly explained why it kept serving the state.

The board's February 5, 2026 letters, sent in coordination with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office, told recipients to immediately block Illinois residents or stop offering prizes there, arguing the sites offer unlicensed internet games of chance in violation of state law. Illinois has no sweepstakes-specific statute - gambling is legal only at licensed riverboats, casinos, racetracks, sportsbooks, and video gaming locations - and the board hasn't publicly reported filing a lawsuit or taking other court action against any recipient since the letters went out.

Response has varied widely among operators that did receive letters. Jumbo88 and JefeBet restricted Illinois within two weeks, and Rolling Riches voluntarily added the state to its ineligible list even though it wasn't on the board's list. Stake.us moved Illinois accounts to redeem-only mode in September, and Blazesoft ended Sweeps Coin play in Illinois across its Zula Casino and Sportzino brands back in June. For comparison, Maryland's gaming regulator testified in January that only about a third of the 75 operators it sent letters to had complied.

Worth noting: McLuck is one of the operators we have an affiliate relationship with on this site. We're reporting its continued Illinois availability the same way we would for any operator - if you're an Illinois resident, understand that the state's gaming board considers sites like McLuck's unlicensed gambling, even though no charges have been filed over it to date.