Crown Coins Casino Faces Proposed Class-Action Lawsuit in Minnesota

^{The federal courthouse for the District of Minnesota is Crown Coins' newest venue for explaining what “free” means. (Photo: Joe Ferrer / Alamy)}

A Minnesota man who claims he lost approximately $9,000 playing at Crown Coins Casino has filed a class-action lawsuit accusing the sweepstakes casino of operating an illegal gambling business. Stephen Birkhauser filed the lawsuit on Thursday, Nov. 12, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota against Sunflower Limited, Stiarsia Ltd. and Sunflower Technology Inc., the companies identified in the complaint as operating Crown Coins Casino.

The lawsuit seeks to recover gambling losses for Minnesota players and obtain a court order preventing Crown Coins from operating in the state. It adds to several legal challenges involving Crown Coins Casino in 2026.

The complaint describes Sunflower Limited as an Israeli company and Stiarsia Ltd. as a Cyprus company based in Limassol. Sunflower Limited and Sunflower Technology Inc. both list a PO box in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Birkhauser’s lawyers say the defendants’ ownership and relationships are “opaque.”

The complaint calls the defendants’ gambling operation in Minnesota “an egregious violation of Minnesota law.”

A $9,000 Losing Streak Lights the Fuse

According to the complaint, Birkhauser began playing at Crown Coins Casino around June 2025. He purchased virtual currency to play casino-style games and claims to have lost approximately $9,000 without realizing any gambling gains.

The lawsuit argues that Crown Coins operates an illegal online casino under Minnesota law and challenges the casino's dual-currency model, which lets players buy Crown Coins packages that include Sweeps Coins. Players can use Sweeps Coins to play games for prizes redeemable for cash.

As examples, the lawsuit cites packages offering 21 Sweeps Coins with a $20 purchase and 105 Sweeps Coins with a $100 purchase. Birkhauser argues that these transactions effectively allow customers to purchase redeemable currency, despite the operator describing Sweeps Coins as a free bonus. The complaint calls that characterization “a thin pretext for real-money gambling.”

The complaint also alleges that Crown Coins misleads customers by presenting itself as a legal social casino while offering games that the plaintiff contends constitute unlawful gambling in Minnesota.

Five Counts, One Class and a Bid for Refunds

The lawsuit includes five causes of action: recovery of gambling losses, consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices, false advertising, and unjust enrichment.

Birkhauser seeks to represent Minnesota residents who paid and wagered money or other things of value through Crown Coins Casino during the applicable limitations period.

Beyond recovering his own losses, he wants the court to order the return of qualifying gambling losses to other Minnesota players. The lawsuit also requests damages, attorneys' fees, and an injunction prohibiting Crown Coins from operating in Minnesota.

The complaint argues that the casino's terms and arbitration provisions should be unenforceable because the underlying gambling activity is allegedly illegal, and therefore the defendants “must disgorge every cent they have earned from Minnesotans’ gambling wagers.”

^{Exhibit A in the “social casino” debate: Crown Coins' homepage, which the lawsuit calls “a thin pretext for real-money gambling.” (Screenshot via CrownCoinsCasino.com)}

Regulators Have Been Circling for More Than a Year

The Minnesota lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal challenges involving Crown Coins Casino. In June 2025, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency directed Crown Coins to stop offering unauthorized online casino games in the state.

The Illinois Gaming Board followed with a cease-and-desist letter in February 2026, demanding that the operator block Illinois residents or discontinue offering redeemable prizes.

Crown Coins has faced multiple lawsuits nationwide, including cases filed in Alabama, Ohio, New Jersey, Utah, and Kentucky. Several of the suits accuse the operator of offering illegal online gambling and seek to recover money lost by players. None of the earlier lawsuits had resulted in a certified class or approved settlement as of October 2026.

The Minnesota lawsuit adds to the growing legal pressure on Crown Coins Casino as sweepstakes operators face increasing scrutiny over their business models.

If successful, the case could force Crown Coins to stop offering its sweepstakes games in Minnesota and potentially return losses to affected players.

Casinos.com reached out to Crown Coins and Sunflower Limited for comment on the lawsuit. Neither had responded by publication.

The court issued summonses for all three defendants on Nov. 12, but the docket shows no proof of service or response from Crown Coins yet. Under federal rules, defendants generally have 21 days after being served to answer or move to dismiss, or 60 days if they agree to waive formal service. Birkhauser, represented by Gustafson Gluek, Teske Law and Reinhardt Wendorf & Blanchfield, has demanded a jury trial.

A judge would have to certify the class-action status before the case can proceed on behalf of other players.