If you frequent social media, you may have noticed a significant increase in complaints regarding Chumba Casino towards the end of 2024.
Reports of mass deactivations, swirling conspiracy theories, emotionally charged accusations, and contradictory perspectives were hard to miss as I conducted my research to understand the issue.
It turns out that many of the players on Chumba Casino were likely subverting the terms of service and there may have been some collateral damage. Before I go into more detail it’s first necessary for me to explain why people bother sending “letters” to Chumba in the first place.
Why Are People Sending Letters To Chumba In the First Place?
By law, sweepstakes casinos are required to provide free SC to players who submit handwritten request envelopes. Chumba is no exception to this rule, and they currently provide 5 free SC per request that gets accepted.
If you decide to submit requests to Chumba Casino, you’ll need to consult their Sweeps Rules. They require players to include a unique, 12-digit Postal Request Code and other account info within each request. They’re also very strict about the use of “automation” or “software” to help.
Now, software doesn’t have to mean what you think it does. Many players that did end up losing access to their Chumba account swear up and down that they wrote every single envelope from scratch. However, Chumba is cracking down on players that belong to Facebook writing groups. Does Facebook really count as software? It appears that Chumba believes it does.
What Do People On Reddit Have To Say?
In order to understand how Reddit played such a huge role in bringing this news story to light for us at SlotsFan, you need to know something about the “10/24 Group.” Starting in October 2024, Chumba allegedly began “skipping” over players that submitted handwritten SC requests as per the rules.
In other words, some players began noticing that they weren’t receiving drops at the same time as everyone else (Chumba usually releases SC in batches so they are referred to as “drops”). While Chumba and other sweeps casinos don’t typically announce when they give free SC to envelope writers, they will normally credit hundreds of players on the same day.
People tend to post on Reddit when these “drops” happen, but there’s no confirmation or denial from Chumba about the specific dates here.
People belonging to the “10/24 Group” allegedly haven’t received credit for thousands of letters they took the time to write. While Chumba is the primary focus of players’ complaints, users are criticizing their sister sites under VGW (Luckyland Slots and Global Poker) for doing the exact same thing.
Here’s an example:
Still, not all hope is lost. In recent weeks, others have received “drops” (free SC) that they’ve been owed since October 2024. This is 100% a developing story, but things are looking up. If you’re one of the users who followed their rules down to the letter, don’t rule out another drop.
There are also reports of players getting their accounts reinstated after it was found they didn’t violate the terms and conditions.
How Are Users Inadvertently Breaking Chumba’s Sweeps Rules?
One section of the lengthy Sweeps Rules part of the terms and conditions on Chumba Casino.
Chumba’s Sweepstakes Rules are something of an obstacle course to navigate, and it’s easy to make a mistake that could get your envelopes declined. From “illegible” handwriting to using the wrong address on an envelope, I know from personal experience that the process is frustrating.
Here’s why your written request can get declined as per Section 3.2 (d) of their Sweeps Rules:
- Failing to write your statement on a piece of 4 x 6, unlined paper
- Forgetting to send out your request inside a number #10 envelope
- Making spelling mistakes or sending letters to the wrong address
- Forgetting to include a new Request Code with each submission
- Writing in a way that Chumba’s envelope reviewers deem illegible
- Putting more than one Sweepstakes Request Card in each envelope
- Using a different return address than your KYC-verified address at Chumba
- Using software to automate or assist the handwriting process in any capacity
That’s probably why a search for “Chumba Facebook group requests” on Google brings up tons of public and private Facebook groups dedicated to understanding Chumba’s Sweeps Rules. A deeper look at “Discussions & Envelopes for Chumba, Luckyland & Pulsz” told me the full story.
Players ask questions about the process, learn from others’ mistakes, and announce when they receive free “drops.” At first glance, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything wrong with joining. Still, Chumba sees the existence of Facebook groups (outside their own official page) a bit differently.
According to Section 3.3 of Chumba’s Sweeps Rules, “Tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes, including but not limited to the use of any device or software to automate the Sweeps Coins request/entry process or to unfairly assist the Participant with meeting the handwriting requirement, is prohibited.”
For the avoidance of doubt, it’s best to remove your name from any Chumba Facebook groups that you might be part of. They view the existence of Facebook groups as a “software” that their players can use to effectively game the system.
What Does Chumba Casino Have to Say In Their Defense?
In Chumba’s defense, the terms of service exist for a reason.
Chumba has not responded in an official capacity to the alleged missing drops and deactivated accounts but customer service agents have replied to complaints about the issue via Trustpilot. Each time the agent simply asks for more information about the account in question.
Whereas users on Reddit are painting themselves as victims, Chumba’s agents reveal the true reason why many long-time players are getting banned out of left field. Some private FB groups are shilling “discounted postage.” These are fake stamps for envelope writers that send in bulk.
People have also come to Chumba’s subreddit asking about ways to purchase discount stamps, going so far as to say that “[they] don’t care if the stamps are fake long as they look real enough to get my envelopes to their destination.”
Other players that sell e-books, packages, programs, and “envelope writing courses” on TikTok have watched their accounts evaporate overnight. In many cases, getting banned is a delayed response by their team after players have spent months flouting Chumba’s Sweepstakes Rules.
Some people cheat the system by using a printer to copy portions of Chumba’s quoted Sweeps Request statement, which isn’t a surprise as people love earning as much free SC as possible.
However, sending letters in bulk isn’t the problem – it’s how they’re written.
My Personal Experience Mailing Handwritten Letters to Chumba
As a long-time Chumba player myself, I’ve submitted handwritten requests to Chumba on a few occasions. While I’m not over here sending 1,000 or 2,000 letters per month like many players, I can’t imagine that Chumba has a bone to pick with people who are doing things the right way.
While Chumba states that it takes between 4 and 6 weeks to receive credits from your requests, they’ve been getting slammed for the past year and some change. I’ve waited as long as seven months before getting free SC. A quick look at Reddit confirms that my experience isn’t unique.
Even though I’ve had good experiences at Chumba in the past, I’ve been waiting for their team to credit one of my letters for the last three months.
Sometimes, it just takes an (abnormally) long time for sweepstakes casinos to respond to all the letters they get. This is especially true considering the strict nature of Chumba’s sweeps rules.
Is Your Chumba Casino Account Next On The Chopping Block?
So long as you’re not using a VPN to access Chumba’s website or blatantly cheating their SC request system, the odds are high that your account is safe. There are usually three sides to every story, and lots of players that reported getting banned on Reddit broke at least one rule.
Even if you didn’t do anything wrong personally, they don’t take very kindly to attempts to game the system. If you have questions about how to write SC requests, it’s best to contact Chumba support.
