Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) has launched a social sweepstakes casino platform called SweepX in collaboration with Primero Gaming.
It is GiG’s first foray into the sweepstakes and social casino vertical. The company had previously announced it would be stepping into the market back in May 2024.
At that time, it said SweepX would combine its iGaming platform technology with AI-assisted gamification and a sweepstake casino content library. Primero was announced then as GiG’s first sweepstake client.
On Monday, it confirmed that SweepX is designed to cater specifically to the U.S. sweepstakes market, incorporating features aimed at improving player engagement and operational efficiency for operators. Those include a dual-wallet system that separates real and virtual currencies, as well as a prize-redemption management tool to streamline user rewards.
“The overwhelmingly positive reaction to SweepX since its announcement in May has strengthened our belief in its potential to revolutionize the social sweepstakes casino market, with an emphasis on providing the most entertaining and safe environments for players and operators alike, further fuelling our ambitious strategic plans for growth,” said GiG CEO Richard Carter.
“This well-timed launch leaves us nicely placed to capture a greater share of the rapidly expanding online U.S. sweepstakes market as we aim to grow and diversify our online gambling offering in the geography,” added Primero CEO Barry Rutherford.
GiG eyes sweepstakes opening as US debates legality
To Rutherford’s point, GiG noted in Monday’s release that the sweepstakes gaming sector saw “tremendous growth” in 2024.
Per Eilers and Krejcik Gaming (EKG) data cited by GiG, the sweeps market is valued at $5.6 billion and projections estimate it will reach $11.4 billion by the end of 2025.
While it continues to expand rapidly, the sector’s legality continues to be debated by states, regulators and observers.
Executives from typical online casino operators are quick to condemn sweeps and the lack of clarity around their position in the market. Some have alleged that sweepstakes and social casinos are able to offer products that are very similar to online casinos without the same regulatory processes that iGaming is subjected to.
In its draft model legislation for iGaming published in late November, the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) proposed explicitly defining and banning sweepstakes entities from operating.
However, in practice, the approach towards them differs from state to state. Most recently, a bill surfaced in New Jersey that proposes legalizing and regulating sweepstakes casinos, pointing to the potential economic benefits of bringing sweeps in line with regulated iGaming. New Jersey knows all about how lucrative regulating online gaming can be; iGaming revenue in the Garden State reached a record $2.4 billion in 2024, up 24% from 2023.
