Georgia Woman Initiates Class Action Lawsuit Against VGW Sweepstakes Group
July 1, 2024 – A woman from the state of Georgia by the name of Destiny Kennedy alleges that game developer Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) violates local gambling laws. Georgia continues to hold stringent laws on gambling in any form. Real-money online casinos like Chumba Casino, Luckyland Casino, and Global Poker are still considered illegal by state law.
VGW is one of the biggest sweepstakes casino companies in the US where thousands of iGamers enjoy multiple slot games and table games online. Kennedy’s allegation claims that the dual-currency sweepstakes format is a front to keep users from realizing VGW’s illegal casino operation.
“VGW proactively defrauds Georgia citizens because VGW advertises that its operations are legitimate and legal when, in reality, VGW knowingly and willfully operates what constitutes an illegal gambling enterprise,” Kennedy states.
While playing on one of VGW’s online platforms, Kennedy is looking to recover around $1,150. Although there is free-to-play money, she contends that the main objective is to purchase and accumulate Sweeps Coins in order to swap them for real money.
Kennedy's case also cites a 2012 Georgia senate bill that forbade "internet cafes" from providing casino-style gaming within the state. The legislation expressly forbids the use of computers for games of chance within the state, but it clearly specifies that this ban only applies to businesses and not to private residences or electronic devices.
Moreover, she mentioned in the lawsuit that she did not want the litigation to go to arbitration because she opted out of it via email when she created her account. She sued VGW on the 17th of May in Georgia’s Superior Court which the Georgia Northern District Court received without VGW’s official response to Kennedy’s filing.
About VGW
VGW was one of three online gambling companies that received cease-and-desist letters this year for operating in Michigan without authorization. VGW is an Australian iGaming company that runs social casino games through online platforms like Chumba Casino and LuckyLand Slots. However, there have been legal problems with their operations. They have been compelled to stop operations by a number of states, including Michigan, which views them as unlicensed gambling. There are also ongoing lawsuits contesting the legitimacy of their games.
This is an ongoing story.