Why the legal model matters most
A brand's legal model is the single biggest factor in where it can operate. CrushCards weights Legality and state coverage at 25%, the heaviest category in the rubric, because a brand with great games is useless if it cannot run in your state. Two brands with identical slot libraries can have completely different legal footprints based on model alone.
State laws target specific currency structures rather than gameplay. That is why a card battler, a slots site, and a horse-racing game can each land in a different legal tier. Understanding the model tells you, in advance, whether a brand can serve your state.
Dual-currency sweepstakes explained
A dual-currency sweepstakes is a model that uses two separate currencies: a free coin for non-prize play and a separate redeemable coin for prizes. The free coin funds entertainment play, while the "sweeps" coin is earned or bundled and redeems for cash-equivalent prizes. Modo.us, Stake.us, McLuck, and Crown Coins all run this model.
This dual-currency structure is exactly what California AB 831 and New York SB 5935A prohibit. Both laws define the banned model as a purchasable non-redeemable coin paired with a separately earned redeemable coin. As a result, dual-currency brands are not available in California or New York, which makes this the most restricted model.
Single-currency skill contest explained
A single-currency skill contest is a model that uses one currency for both play and prizes inside a skill-contest framing. CardCrush runs this model, using Mystery Coins at 1 MC to $1 as both the entry unit and the prize unit. Because there is no separate non-redeemable coin, CardCrush argues it falls outside the dual-currency definitions in AB 831 and SB 5935A.
That single-currency design gives CardCrush the widest legal footprint of the skill-contest brands, live across all 13 states CrushCards tracks. The framing is a skill contest, though match outcomes remain chance-weighted rather than pure skill. The theory is untested in court, so the model carries real regulatory uncertainty, especially in California.
Parimutuel (ADW) explained
A parimutuel model, also called Advance Deposit Wagering, settles game outcomes against a live horse-racing pool rather than a casino or sweepstakes structure. Horseplay and GiddyUp run this model under the federal Interstate Horseracing Act. Slot and arcade visuals reveal the result of an underlying parimutuel race bet, not a random number generator.
Federal ADW law preempts state sweepstakes statutes for licensed operators, which keeps Horseplay and GiddyUp legal in California and New York. That federal basis is the most durable of the three models, because it does not depend on a state-by-state currency argument. Players who prioritize legal certainty often favor the parimutuel route.
The three models compared
The legal model determines state reach more than any feature. The table compares the main models on structure, example brands, and California or New York access.
The two models at the top reach California and New York; the dual-currency model at the bottom does not. ClubWPT Gold's subscription sweepstakes model sits in between, available in New York but capped in California.
Which model is most legally durable
Federal parimutuel is the most legally durable model, because the Interstate Horseracing Act preempts state sweeps bans for licensed operators. The single-currency skill contest is durable in practice and reaches 13 states, but no court has tested CardCrush's carve-out, so it carries more uncertainty. The dual-currency sweepstakes model is the least durable, already banned by AB 831 and SB 5935A.
CrushCards scores legality accordingly within the 25% weighting. Horseplay and GiddyUp earn the highest legality marks, CardCrush a strong but caveated score, and dual-currency brands the lowest. The durability ranking explains why the top of the overall ranking skews toward skill-contest and parimutuel brands.
What this means for your state
Your state determines which models are even available to you. California and New York players can use single-currency skill contest and parimutuel brands, but not dual-currency sweepstakes. Players in most other states can access all models, including the deeper-library dual-currency brands.
Check the CrushCards state availability hub to see which brands are legal where you live. The methodology page shows exactly how legality is weighted in every score. Always verify a brand's current status before depositing.
The bottom line
Sweepstakes vs skill contest comes down to currency structure, and that structure decides state legality. Dual-currency sweepstakes are the most restricted, banned in California and New York by AB 831 and SB 5935A. Single-currency skill contests like CardCrush and federal parimutuel models like Horseplay reach more states, with parimutuel the most durable and the skill-contest carve-out still untested. The model, not the game library, tells you where a brand can legally operate.