Sidepot Casino Joins Wave of Sweepstakes Operators Exiting Arizona
Online sweepstakes casino Sidepot Casino, the sister brand of popular sweepstakes sportsbook Fliff, has withdrawn from the Arizona market, according to a report from Sweepsy.com. The exit makes Sidepot the seventh major sweepstakes operator to leave the state as regulators tighten enforcement.
The move adds Arizona to Sidepot’s growing list of 18 excluded markets in North America. While the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) did not issue a public cease-and-desist order specifically naming Sidepot, the company’s connection to Fliff, already subject to such an order, appears to have prompted a strategic, full-platform retreat.
Regulators Turn Up the Heat
Since February, ADG has been publishing guidance and warning consumers about unregulated sweepstakes platforms. In mid-August, the agency issued cease-and-desist orders to Fliff, Thrillzz, Betty Sweeps and Pulsz, calling their “active operations … felony criminal enterprises” and directing them to stop “any future illegal gambling operations or activities of any type in Arizona.” Earlier this summer, Stake.us and High 5 Casino received similar orders, while ARB Interactive’s Modo.us was told to exit several months ago.
Other brands, including Ruby Sweeps and Carnival Citi, have pulled out quietly, apparently to avoid regulatory clashes. ADG argues that these operators violate Arizona gaming laws because their online offerings are “unregulated and illegal.”
A Growing “Off-Limits” State
Arizona is quickly becoming a no-go zone for sweepstakes casinos. Although Sidepot had not been singled out publicly, its owner Fliff Inc. appears to have decided on a “multi-platform exit” rather than risk having regulators question one product but not the other.
The exits also show how ADG’s actions: warning players, issuing formal orders, and framing some operators as criminal enterprises, are reshaping the sweepstakes landscape. Platforms once pitched as low-risk alternatives to online casinos now face the same scrutiny as traditional gambling sites in the state.
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