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Sweepstakes and social‑plus operators urge regulation, not prohibition
Summary
Companies that operate free‑to‑play and sweepstakes‑based games told the committee that a broad ban could push legitimate firms offshore and asked for a tailored regulatory category that distinguishes social‑plus games from iGaming.
Representatives of social‑plus and sweepstakes operators described how their products differ from real‑money iGaming and urged the committee to avoid drafting language that would sweep them into a prohibition. Brian Schroeder of ARB Interactive explained the mechanics: free play is available and sweepstakes entries are offered as promotional awards; he warned that a prohibition would drive users toward unregulated offshore offerings rather than protect them.
VGW's Lloyd Melnick said the majority of social‑plus players never spend money and that social games should be treated as interactive entertainment; both witnesses urged clear definitions, geolocation and age verification as alternatives to an outright ban.
