Two class action lawsuits claim ‘free-to-play sweepstakes’ Sportzino, Zula Casino and Fortune Coins are illegal gambling traps

Blazesoft class action lawsuits overview:

• Who: Three consumers in two separate lawsuits are suing Blazesoft Ltd., Blazegames Inc., SSPC LLC d/b/a Sportzino, SCPS LLC d/b/a Zula Casino and Social Gaming LLC d/b/a Fortune Coins.
• Why: The plaintiffs allege that the online gaming companies are illegal gambling operations.
• Where: The class action lawsuits were filed in Illinois and New York federal courts.

Two new class action lawsuits allege that an umbrella of online gaming companies are illegally operating unregulated internet casinos under the guise of “free-to-play sweepstakes.” 

Plaintiffs Vincent Ambrosia Jr. and Robert Houpt in Illinois and Autumn Boatner in New York accuse Blazesoft and its affiliated platforms — Sportzino, Zula Casino and Fortune Coins — of deceiving users into real-money gambling through unlawful dual-currency systems. 

The lawsuits claim that the defendants lure consumers to their platforms by falsely marketing them as free-to-play “sweepstakes” casinos when, in reality, they operate as unregulated gambling traps where users wager and lose real money playing virtual slot machines and other casino-style games over the internet.

The lawsuits were filed on Feb. 19 in Illinois federal court and on April 18 in New York federal court.

The Blazesoft class action lawsuits argue that customers can purchase “Gold Coins” and “Sweeps Coins” (or “Fortune Coins”) to wager on games of chance and redeem for cash. Plaintiffs argue this setup is a deceptive mask for illegal online gambling, designed to evade strict state laws that prohibit unlicensed wagering over the internet. 

The lawsuits claim that this violates gambling laws by effectively offering real-money slot machines, bingo and other chance-based games outside of regulated casinos. 

Additionally, they claim that the platforms fail to enforce age restrictions and do not provide required consumer protections or addiction resources mandated by state laws.

Lawsuits allege companies are ‘sham’ entities that use aggressive advertising

The Blazesoft class action lawsuits claim that affiliate companies Blazegames, Social Gaming, Sportzino and Zula Casino are “sham” entities registered in Delaware but operated entirely from Ontario, Canada. 

Plaintiffs accuse Blazesoft of exercising total control over all three platforms and using aggressive social media advertising and mobile accessibility to lure consumers, particularly vulnerable and young users, into spending large sums under the guise of entertainment.

“Defendants’ misconduct inflicts particularly severe harm on vulnerable populations, including individuals predisposed to gambling addiction and younger consumers targeted through ‘free play’ marketing,” the lawsuits claim.

Boatner claims Blazesoft is guilty of unjust enrichment and violating New York’s Loss Recovery Statute and General Business Law.

Ambrosia and Houpt claim the defendants are guilty of violating the Illinois Loss Recovery Act and the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

The plaintiffs seek restitution of funds spent on the platforms, monetary damages, declaratory and injunctive relief and court certification of their proposed class actions to represent similarly harmed consumers.

Meanwhile, a recent lawsuit accuses gambling company DraftKings of pushing legal boundaries, while another alleges Stake.us runs an illegal online casino in Illinois.

Have you played casino games on the Blazesoft platforms? Let us know in the comments.

Plaintiffs Ambrosia and Houpt are represented by J. Eli Wade-Scott, Michael Ovca, Hannah Hilligoss and Ari J. Scharg of Edelson P.C. Plaintiff Boatner is represented by Matthew S. Tripolitsiotis of Burns Charest LLP and J. Eli Wade-Scott, Michael Ovca, Hannah Hilligoss and Ari J. Scharg of Edelson P.C.

The Blazesoft class action lawsuits are Boatner v. SSPS LLC, et al., Case No. 1:25-cv-03251, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and Ambrosia, et al. v. Blazesoft Ltd., et al., Case No. 1:25-cv-01723, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

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