The California bill to ban sweepstakes casinos is getting some pushback from groups representing “online social games”. After last week’s Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA) letter disparaging the bill’s apparent overreach, another group, the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA), has now come out with a dedicated website.

The SGLA’s site currently has 21,577 actions taken at the time of writing, across writing, calling, and posting to X, formerly Twitter, directed at local lawmakers. Depending on where you hail from in California, the site will direct you to message the representatives from that area.

We input different locations into the site, with erroring out if you choose outside of California (New York, Alabama, India, and the United Kingdom), which was to be expected.

The site has a prebuilt message for emailing, a script for phone calls, and is set up to automatically allow you to post to X with a message to those representatives. It’s a whole operation, one that now needs nearly 8,500 new actions so it can “reach [the] next goal”. Looking over the social media site, there’s a total of three posts sent via the website using the direct message.

Here’s what the SGLA is saying

The SGLA’s pre-written email reads:

“As a constituent in your district, I am reaching out to express my strong opposition to Assembly Bill No. 831, which seeks to outlaw online social games. As a California voter, I am deeply concerned about this bill and what it represents.

“AB 831 is an unnecessary intrusion into personal choice. As an adult, I should have the freedom to enjoy legal and responsible forms of entertainment without interference from lawmakers. This includes the choice that I, and many other Californians, make to play online social games that use sweepstakes promotions in our spare time.”

It continues in a third section after allowing the user to write their own portion of the message:

“California legislators should not give into pressure by gambling interests to ban these games to squash perceived competition. This rushed proposal would abruptly cut off Californians from a popular form of entertainment that has been enjoyed by Americans across the country for years.

“Instead of restricting personal freedoms and targeting a harmless form of entertainment, I urge you to oppose this overreaching and unnecessary bill.”

SPGA uses Dr. Pepper sweepstakes as example of overreach

Legislative Loser: Pump the Brakes, California

What do a new Toyota Tacoma, $5,000 in cash, & a couple of e-bikes have in common?

They’re all part of Maverik & Dr. Pepper’s Ride & Roam sweepstakes, under CA’s proposed AB 831, this kind of promotion could be deemed illegal.

— theSPGA (@theSPGA) July 11, 2025

Currently, the SPGA is trying to fight back on the bill through social media. Its most recent claim is that sweepstakes in general would be banned, using a recent Dr. Pepper promotional sweepstakes as an example. However, non-sweepstakes casino giveaways will presumably find a way through this.

California tribes back the ban

California’s tribes, who are for the ban, spoke during a webinar last Wednesday. The tribes view sweepstakes casinos as operating outside the gambling rules they must adhere to, and as encroaching on laws that restrict other groups from operating casinos or gambling outlets in specific states.

Tribal gaming attorney, Joe Webster, said:

“An avalanche is already happening against these (operators). You’re seeing state-by-state legislation, AG opinions and enforcement action, and a lot of lawsuits being filed.

“A whole range of gaming that tribes are supposed to have exclusivity for is being run over by these operators.”

IGA Conference Chair Victor Rocha added that various social media campaigns feel “fake and insincere.”

ReadWrite has tried to reach out for comment.