Florida AG Targets Google, Meta, TikTok Over Sweepstakes Casino Ads

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has taken aim at five major tech platforms - Google, Meta, Reddit, Snap, and TikTok - over their role in promoting sweepstakes casino ads to state residents. In a series of letters sent last week, Uthmeier demanded that the companies halt their advertising efforts, arguing that they share responsibility for promoting unlicensed gambling operations.

Unlike previous state actions against sweepstakes casinos, which have targeted the operators directly, Uthmeier's strategy focuses on the distribution layer - the platforms where the ads actually run. This approach marks a shift in tactics, as regulators and attorneys general around the country have traditionally pursued individual operators rather than the ad networks carrying their promotions.

The letters were part of a broader crackdown by Florida regulators against sweepstakes casinos, which operate in a legal gray zone by offering virtual currency that can be redeemed for cash prizes. The state has argued that this model amounts to real-money gambling without oversight, and Uthmeier's letters suggest that Florida wants to choke off the marketing pipeline rather than chasing individual operators one at a time.