Florida AG targets payment companies in online gambling lawsuit

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against the operators of major online "sweepstakes" casinos and the payment processing companies that work with them. Named in the lawsuit are Yodlee, Trustly and Worldpay. The three companies, working in concert, provide the "financial infrastructure" that gamblers use to fund their sweepstakes casino accounts, purchase sweepstakes coins, place wagers and receive payouts, the lawsuit alleges.

The complainants allege the casinos are operating illegal online gambling enterprises that violate Florida's gambling laws. The gambling companies (but not the payment processors) are also alleged to be in violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Florida law strictly limits gambling and authorizes slot machines only under narrow circumstances at licensed facilities. In all, there are seven gaming casinos in the state. All are owned and operated by Native American tribes—six by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and one by the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida.

Dual currencies underpin casino model

According to complaints filed by the attorney general in Hillsborough County Circuit Court on Aug.19, 2026, the operators of three online "sweepstakes" and "social" casinos—including Stake and VGW's Chumba Casino, LuckyLand and Global Poker—try to skirt state law by using a dual currency model intentionally designed to disguise real-money gambling.

Examples include "gold coins" that are bundled with "stake cash" and "sweeps coins," with the latter functioning as wagering credits that can be cashed out for cryptocurrency, gift cards or cash.

The platforms offer traditional casino games, including slots, blackjack, roulette and poker, "while marketing themselves as free, safe, legal 'social' entertainment," the attorney general's office stated in a press release.

"These so-called 'sweepstakes' and 'social casinos' are illegal online gambling operations," Attorney General Uthmeier said. "These companies have been preying on Floridians, including minors and seniors, with deceptive marketing, and 24/7 access, while dodging our state's licensing, taxation, and consumer-protection requirements. They must be stopped," Uthmeier stated.

Yodlee, Trustly, Worldpay play unique roles

According to the charging documents, Yodlee, Trustly and Worldpay each play unique roles in supporting the exchange of payments related to these online sweepstakes and social casinos.

"Yodlee establishes and maintains the financial account connections" between gamblers and the defendants' websites, "by linking gamblers' bank accounts, verifying account ownership and available funds, and storing and maintaining the bank account information and connection data necessary to facilitate future transactions," the lawsuit alleges.

"Trustly executes the electronic transfer of funds through those connections, enabling gamblers to exchange real money for Sweeps Coins and to receive gambling payouts through their linked accounts," the complaint states. And "Worldpay serves as the payment processor," processing credit card and other forms of electronic payment between the gamblers and the gaming establishments.

Payment processors should know better

"Without the integrated services provided by Yodlee, Trustly and Worldpay, gamblers could not seamlessly fund their accounts, purchase Sweeps Coins, participate in gambling on the VGW defendants' sweepstakes casinos, or receive payouts," the complaint states.

The complaint quotes Worldpay marketing materials explaining its deep knowledge and experience with gaming operations. "Worldpay thus understands the legal distinctions between licensed gaming operations and unlawful gambling enterprises, as well as the regulatory consequences that follow when gaming operators become the subject of enforcement actions by state regulators and attorneys general," the complaint states.

The document adds, "As sophisticated financial technology and payment companies whose businesses depend on regulatory compliance and risk management, Yodlee, Trustly and Worldpay are equipped to evaluate the nature of the businesses they support and the transactions they facilitate."

According to the complaint, the three companies "knew, or were willfully blind to the fact" that the sweepstakes casinos' owners had been put on notice that they were operating outside the law and subject to cease and desist orders. Yet they continued "to provide the financial infrastructure and payment services" that enabled Floridians and other gamblers to purchase sweeps coins and receive payouts, the AG alleges.

Florida seeks repayment of gambling losses

The attorney general is seeking a jury trial and asking that 100 percent of the gambling losses incurred by Florida players be repaid. Those repayments would be divided between the processors and gambling sites, although the complaint does not specify how liability would be allocated among the defendants.

The payment processing companies, if found liable, could also be required to surrender fees or profits they received from transactions involving the gambling operations. The requested relief therefore extends beyond the casino operators themselves to the financial companies Florida alleges provided the infrastructure necessary for players to fund accounts and receive payouts.

The case puts a particular focus on the responsibilities of payment and financial technology providers that serve gambling businesses. Florida's complaint argues that the processors' compliance and risk-management expertise gave them the ability to assess the businesses they supported, including whether those businesses had drawn regulatory scrutiny.

The allegations have not been proven, and the defendants will have an opportunity to contest them in court.

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