A group of major industry players has launched the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) to support and defend the interests of the social gaming and sweepstakes casino sector, which faces growing pressure from state-level crackdowns across the United States.
Good to know
- Founding members include VGW, Playstudios, Yellow Social Interactive, ARB Interactive, B-Two Operations, and Nuvei.
- Former U.S. Congressman Jeff Duncan has been appointed as the Alliance’s first Executive Director.
- The coalition plans to work with lawmakers and regulators to promote responsible social gaming.
The newly formed SGLA plans to engage directly with legislators, regulators, and the public to help shape how social casino-style games—often free-to-play and driven by sweepstakes promotions—are perceived and regulated. Several states have recently introduced legal challenges or restrictions targeting these platforms, prompting industry leaders to organize a unified response.
In a statement, Executive Director Jeff Duncan emphasized the group’s proactive approach. “Social games industry leaders are already investing heavily in financial security, data privacy, responsible social gameplay and consumer protections. And they are ready and open to sensible regulation that can benefit hard-working constituents in the states where they operate,” he said.
The Alliance’s focus includes promoting transparency, player safety, and responsible innovation. It intends to clarify how social casino products operate, particularly in contrast to traditional online gambling platforms.
VGW Founder and CEO Laurence Escalante highlighted the importance of separating facts from misinformation. “As a pioneer and market leader, we recognize the rising interest in our sector and our responsibility to both ensure the facts about our games, operations and standards are understood, and advocate for what we believe the appropriate industry frameworks should look like.”
Just last month, VGW’s Luckyland was ordered to shut down its operations in Delaware for violating gaming laws.
SGLA’s formation comes as some states tighten scrutiny on sweepstakes models, which blend entertainment and real rewards. The Alliance said it is actively holding discussions with other operators and service providers to broaden support for its advocacy work.
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