Ryan Seacrest Sued in California for Promoting Illegal Gambling Site

A Star in Hot Water

Ryan Seacrest, the “Wheel of Fortune” and “American Idol” host, is caught in a legal mess after California resident Aubrey Carillo sued him for pushing ChumbaCasino.com, a sweepstakes site she claims operates illegally.

Filed in Riverside County Superior Court, the lawsuit, which ballooned from 16 to 71 pages in April 2025, also targets Virtual Gaming Worlds, Chumba’s Australian parent company.

Carillo says she lost money on the site, which Seacrest has hyped since December 2023 as its celebrity endorser, and argues his ads fuel gambling addiction among adults and teens, with at least one child in her family accessing the platform.

The suit likens Chumba’s setup to 2000s internet cafes, which California courts shut down as gambling fronts despite selling phone minutes alongside game entries.

Carillo claims Chumba’s model, using Gold Coins for play and Sweeps Coins for cash prizes, mimics casino betting, not legal sweepstakes, and violates state law. She’s pushing for a court order to shutter Chumba in California and block Seacrest from profiting off its ads.

How Chumba Works

ChumbaCasino.com runs on a sweepstakes model, letting players buy Gold Coins for fun and get Sweeps Coins as bonuses, redeemable for cash or prizes.

This setup skirts traditional gambling licenses, making it legal in most states, including California, but it’s banned in Connecticut, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and Washington.

The lawsuit argues this “free-to-play” label is a sham, with purchased coins driving a gambling-like experience. Seacrest’s role, including social media posts and site promos, is under fire for luring players to what Carillo calls a “criminal scam”.

Chumba’s team isn’t backing down. A spokesperson said the suit “has no merit” and vowed to “vigorously defend” their legal operations, noting Seacrest isn’t involved in running the business and was “unfairly targeted.” A source close to the case called it a “nuisance lawsuit,” hinting it’s more noise than substance.