
“Is Sportszino legal in California?” - A common question I get from California sweepstakes bettors who are interested in checking this social sportsbook out. The answer is no! You can no longer register and access the site’s offerings from the Golden State, and I'll tell you why.
Following the recent legislation, which was passed into law in October by Governor Newsom, dual-currency sweepstakes casinos will no longer be able to operate in California. This has made the operations of sweepstakes casinos like Sportzino illegal in the Golden State. Keep reading as we explain what this holds for CA players and other social gaming alternatives that can be explored.
Sweepstakes casinos have started withdrawing their services from California owing to the passage of the AB 831 legislation into law, which bans the operation of sweepstakes casinos in the Golden State starting from January 1, 2026. This means California is no longer among the many Sportzino legal states. So you can no longer register on the platform if you’re within the region.
Sportzino operates as a sweepstakes brand and not a traditional betting platform. The brand uses a sweepstakes model; you don’t need to deposit any cash. Instead, you receive free virtual currencies, which are Gold Coins for fun play and Sweeps Coins, which can be redeemed for real cash prizes, both of which you can use to make your sports predictions.
However, the new bill bans all forms of Sweeps Coin play and cash redemptions, which has led all dual-currency sweepstakes casinos to withdraw their sweepstakes services, including Sweeps Coin play and exit the state completely. While some who decide to stay will have to switch to offering a single virtual currency for fun play only.
Other social gaming alternatives to social betting in California are free-to-play social casinos and skill-based games. Free-to-play social casinos are quite similar to sweepstakes-based social casinos, except that they exclusively offer fun-play, only make use of Gold Coins, with no way to make real prize redemptions. This makes them regular entertainment, and able to operate in states where sweepstakes casinos are restricted.
Skill-based games are competition-based tournaments where players are rewarded with tournament prizes made up of entry fees. Skill-based games incorporate skill matching to ensure fairness and do not have any sweepstakes element.
I’ve been asked a few questions about Sportzino’s availability in other US states. For instance, you might want to know, “Is Sportzino legal in Texas?” In this case, the answer is yes. If you’re also wondering, “Is Sportzino legal in Florida,” then know that the answer is still positive. Both states are not part of the restricted regions, so you can use the platform's offerings even if you travel from California to these states.
So, if you had been wondering, can I use Sportzino in California, you now know the answer. From this guide, you understand why the sweepstakes brand can no longer operate within the state, which is owing to the recent ban on sweepstakes casinos starting from January 1, 2026.
No, you can not use Sportzino in California. The platform operates as a sweepstakes model and falls under the anti-sweepstakes AB 831 bill, prohibiting its services within the state.
Yes, there are restrictions to using Sportzino from California following the passage of AB 831. In other words, you no longer have access to all of the platform’s offerings.
No, Sportzino is not legal in California. This is a result of the AB 831 bill that has been signed into law, banning sweepstakes casinos from offering free services to residents in the state.