VGW Announces LuckyLand Slots Will Shut Down, Chumba & LuckyLand Casino Continue

VGW has confirmed it will discontinue LuckyLand Slots, with the platform set to cease operations completely in September. The company told players the shutdown will happen as a staged process, but it has not shared a full timeline in the announcement beyond the September end point.

For players, the key point is that only the LuckyLand Slots brand is being retired. Other VGW platforms will keep running, including LuckyLand Casino, Chumba Casino, and Global Poker.

VGW only launched LuckyLand Casino in November last year. At that time, the company said it was still evaluating what to do with LuckyLand Slots and hadn’t made a final decision. It also explained that adding “casino” to the newer brand name was meant to signal “an enhanced, broader experience for players seeking a wide range of free-to-play games and features.”

The company also said the LuckyLand Slots closure will not affect Global Poker or Chumba Casino. Those three brands will continue operating in many US states, though VGW’s platforms also maintain lists of restricted territories. The restricted list has been growing as more states pass explicit bans on the dual-currency model these platforms use to offer casino-style gaming.

Outside the US, VGW wound up operations in Canada last year. The brand decision also lands during a turbulent stretch for the company following founder Lawrence Escalante’s resignation as CEO on July 3, after taking a leave of absence following his January arrest. Former senior executive Mats Johnson has been serving as interim CEO and will remain in that role until VGW names a permanent successor. Escalante previously took VGW private last year in a deal valuing the company at A$3.2 billion ($2.1 billion).

VGW’s staged shutdown of one brand while others continue is a reminder that sweepstakes-style casinos can change quickly by jurisdiction and by operator, affecting where and how players can access games.