Sweepstakes laws in New Jersey

Disclosure: this site's publisher, Luck Incorporated LLC, operates Chance Infinite, one of the apps in these databases. Its entry is built from its own documents under the same rules as every other entry. This is reference information, not legal advice; official rules and statutes control.

Last verified October 3, 2026. On October 16, 2026 an automated check re-opened 12 of its 12 sources and found no change. Every line below cites a document; numbers in brackets point to the source list.

Status

Law in force

Sweepstakes-casino law

A5447 / S4282 (P.L.2025, c.128), effective August 15, 2025

Enforcement actions on record

0

Ranked free apps open to residents

6 of 6

Sweepstakes-casino brands and New Jersey

14 exclude it, 4 limit it, of 18 tracked

The law

A5447 / S4282 (P.L.2025, c.128)

Cited as N.J.S.A. 52:17B-139.14 to 52:17B-139.26 and 5:12-112.1 to 5:12-112.10, with new N.J.S.2C:37-10 and amendments to N.J.S.2C:21-11, 2C:37-1, 2C:37-2, 2C:37-4 and 5:12-113; enacted August 15, 2025 (approved by the governor); effective August 15, 2025. [S1]

Defines a sweepstakes as a promotional, advertising or marketing event, contest or game, online or in person, that awards something of value directly or indirectly, including through a dual currency system of payment that lets a participant exchange the currency for a prize. Section 2 makes offering or conducting a sweepstakes in which a person present in New Jersey may take part by paying or proffering something of value unlawful gambling under the state constitution, unless it meets section 3. Section 3 sets a safe harbor: a free method of entry, paid entry only ancillary to food, non-alcoholic drinks or merchandise worth $20 or less (excluding coins, tokens or online credits that only permit entry or can be exchanged for money or merchandise), no prize determined by sports results unless all entry is free, disclosure of rules and odds, and identical odds for paid and free entries. The Division of Consumer Affairs enforces section 2 with civil penalties of up to $100,000 for a first offense and $250,000 for each later offense, each day a separate offense, and penalties of up to $25,000 for each violation of a cease-and-desist order. Section 30 says the act takes effect immediately.

“offering or conducting a sweepstakes in which a person present in New Jersey may participate by paying or proffering something of value”

Players: Section 2 attaches liability to the operator or sponsor and any officer, employee or agent; it does not name participants. Section 3(a) says that participating in a sweepstakes that meets subsection b. does not subject the participant to civil or criminal liability under the gambling laws.

Bills

• A5447 (2024-2025 session): approved as P.L.2025, c.128, August 15, 2025. [S2]
  What the bill does

  Synopsis (S3): prohibits the sweepstakes model of wagering, establishes new penalties for unlawful gambling operations, and directs the Division of Consumer Affairs and the Division of Gaming Enforcement to enforce them. Introduced March 17, 2025; passed the Assembly 69-10-1 and the Senate 34-5 on June 30, 2025.

• S4282 (2024-2025 session): identical Senate bill; A5447 was substituted for it on Senate passage, June 30, 2025. Same synopsis as A5447. [S4]
• A5196 (2024-2025 session): withdrawn from consideration, April 10, 2025. [S5]
  What the bill does

  Synopsis: designates sweepstakes casinos as internet gaming and requires their licensure, oversight and taxation within the internet gaming framework. Introduced January 16, 2025 and referred to the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee.

• S4109 (2024-2025 session): referred to committee; no further action recorded before the session ended, February 3, 2025. Identical to A5196 (licensing sweepstakes casinos as internet gaming). Referred to the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee. [S6]
• S1500 (2026-2027 session): pending in committee, January 13, 2026. [S8]
  What the bill does

  Reintroduction of S4109/A5196 (synopsis and prior-session link, S9): would designate sweepstakes casinos as internet gaming and require licensure, oversight and taxation. Introduced and referred to the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee on January 13, 2026; no later action recorded on October 3, 2026.

Rules for any sweepstakes in New Jersey

• Paid-entry sweepstakes safe harbor (N.J.S.A. 52:17B-139.16 (P.L.2025, c.128, section 3)): [S1]
  What the rule requires

  A sweepstakes that people in New Jersey can enter by paying is not unlawful gambling under section 2 of the 2025 act if it meets every condition in section 3(b) (section 2 also excepts a sweepstakes authorized under any other state law); the conditions include a no-cost method of entry, paid entry tied to a purchase of food, non-alcoholic beverages or merchandise worth no more than $20, disclosure of rules, odds and prizes on the entry form or website, parental consent before a person under 18 claims a prize over $1,000, and identical odds whether the entry was bought or free.

• What counts as something of value (N.J.S.2C:37-1(d), as amended by P.L.2025, c.128, section 26): The criminal gambling chapter defines “something of value” to include money or property, any token, object or article exchangeable for money or property, and any form of credit or promise contemplating a transfer of money or property; the 2025 act uses this definition for sweepstakes. [S1]

Free sweepstakes apps open to New Jersey residents

Our ranked apps, by what each one's own official rules say about New Jersey. Chance Infinite is operated by this site's publisher.

Sweepstakes casinos and New Jersey

What the 18 sweepstakes-casino brands in our database say about New Jersey in their own documents. These lists give no grade; some of these brands pay SweepstakeReport a commission through the links on their fact sheets. We do not judge whether any brand may operate in New Jersey, and documents change often.

• Exclude New Jersey: Chumba Casino, Fortune Wins, Global Poker, Hello Millions, High 5 Casino, Jackpota, Legendz, LuckyLand Casino, McLuck, Mega Bonanza, Sportzino, Spree, Stake.us, Zula Casino
• Limit New Jersey (for example Gold Coin only): Crown Coins Casino, Modo, Pulsz, Pulsz Bingo
• Do not exclude it: none

181 casinos' terms exclude New Jersey: see which.

Regulator

New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs

Notes

Read the 3 research notes

• Enforcement is split: the Division of Consumer Affairs handles violations of the sweepstakes section (sections 4 to 13 of the act), while the Division of Gaming Enforcement gains civil powers over other unlawful gambling, expressly “other than a sweepstakes offered or conducted in violation of section 2” (sections 14 to 23) (S1).
• Timeline check: our crackdown timeline lists A5447 as signed August 15, 2025 and effective immediately, which agrees with the act and the bill history (S1, S2). The timeline describes penalties of up to $25,000 per violation for continued operation after a cease-and-desist; that matches section 12, but the act also sets civil penalties of up to $100,000 for a first offense and $250,000 for each later offense, with each day counted separately (section 5) (S1).
• The Division of Gaming Enforcement's highlights page says that during the year it “worked on newly enacted legislation to combat sweepstakes and illegal providers” (S10). It does not describe an action against a named operator.

What we could not establish

• We found no cease-and-desist order, penalty or lawsuit by the Division of Consumer Affairs or the Division of Gaming Enforcement against a named online sweepstakes casino on the pages we opened on October 3, 2026: the Attorney General site search for “sweepstakes” (S11) and the Division of Gaming Enforcement highlights page (S10). We also downloaded the 34 rulings summaries and petitions lists for 2025 and 2026 linked from the Division of Gaming Enforcement's Director's Actions and Orders page (S12); none contains the word sweepstakes. Orders issued under section 12 may not be published.
• Bill coverage comes from the Legislature's keyword search for “sweepstakes” in the 2024-2025 and 2026-2027 sessions (S4, S7). A bill on the subject that does not use that word in its indexed text could be missing.

Common questions

Does New Jersey have a law on online sweepstakes casinos?

Yes. A5447 / S4282 (P.L.2025, c.128), cited as N.J.S.A. 52:17B-139.14 to 52:17B-139.26 and 5:12-112.1 to 5:12-112.10, with new N.J.S.2C:37-10 and amendments to N.J.S.2C:21-11, 2C:37-1, 2C:37-2, 2C:37-4 and 5:12-113, took effect August 15, 2025. This page quotes the text and links the statute.

Which ranked free sweepstakes apps accept New Jersey residents?

Per their own official rules, Chance Infinite, Coinnect, Prizes by GAMEE, Winsome Rewards, PCH+ and PCH Lotto accept residents of New Jersey. Chance Infinite is operated by the publisher of this site.

Do sweepstakes casinos accept players in New Jersey?

Of the 18 sweepstakes casino brands in our database, 14 exclude New Jersey and 4 limit it in their own documents, last verified October 3, 2026. Documents change often, so read the current terms first.

Sources

1. S1 New Jersey Legislature, P.L. 2025, Chapter 128, An Act concerning unlawful gambling operations in this State (approved August 15, 2025), retrieved October 3, 2026
2. S2 New Jersey Legislature, A5447 (2024 session) bill history, retrieved October 3, 2026
3. S3 New Jersey Legislature, A5447 (2024 session) bill description and synopsis, retrieved October 3, 2026
4. S4 New Jersey Legislature, Bill search, 2024-2025 session, keyword sweepstakes, retrieved October 3, 2026
5. S5 New Jersey Legislature, A5196 (2024 session) bill history, retrieved October 3, 2026
6. S6 New Jersey Legislature, S4109 (2024 session) bill history, retrieved October 3, 2026
7. S7 New Jersey Legislature, Bill search, 2026-2027 session, keyword sweepstakes, retrieved October 3, 2026
8. S8 New Jersey Legislature, S1500 (2026 session) bill history, retrieved October 3, 2026
9. S9 New Jersey Legislature, S1500 (2026 session) bill description and synopsis, retrieved October 3, 2026
10. S10 New Jersey Office of Attorney General, Division of Gaming Enforcement Highlights, retrieved October 3, 2026
11. S11 New Jersey Office of Attorney General, Site search results for sweepstakes, retrieved October 3, 2026
12. S12 New Jersey Office of Attorney General, Division of Gaming Enforcement, Director's Actions and Orders (rulings and petitions, 2025 and 2026), retrieved October 3, 2026

Related: All 50 states and DC · The crackdown timeline · The app database