Ryan Seacrest has been hit with a lawsuit accusing him of endorsing an illegal online casino site in California.
The American Idol and Wheel of Fortune host has been implicated for his involvement in promoting Chumba Casino.
The legal case brought by California resident Aubrey Carillo states that she lost money on the site regularly plugged on social media by the celebrity.
“Seacrest has a reported net worth of $450M and has had estates or penthouses in Beverly Hills, Napa Valley, Bel-Air & Manhattan,” the suit details.
“Someone this blessed in life does not need to hurt people for more money, but Seacrest does just that by serving as the official celebrity endorser.”
Chumba Casino was initiated in 2012, operated by the Australian entity Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW).
It offers more than 200 casino-style games, including poker, blackjack, and roulette, presenting itself as the “ultimate playground for fun seekers.”
Carillo wants to prevent the company from operating its sweepstakes casinos in California and to stop Seacrest from profiting from the operator’s activity.
In response, Chumba insists it complies with laws under a sweepstakes model, and Seacrest is only a brand ambassador, not involved at any operational level.
A new lawsuit is suing Ryan Seacrest for promoting an illegal #onlinecasino@tmz @coreylevitanhttps://t.co/DkVCpSL8HR
— Casino.org (@Casino_Org) May 5, 2025
Controversy of sweepstake casinos
The case is another example of the grey area that exists with sweepstakes.
Platforms such as Chumba Casino permit users to wager with free coins with players able to purchase additional coins with real money and then exchange them for cash or prizes.
Sweepstake casinos are generally unregulated and not subject to the same terms as traditional or regulated gambling sites.
Seacrest and Chumba Casino first announced their partnership in December 2023.
In the promotional material for the collaboration, Seacrest stated: “Who doesn’t love games? I’m now excited to announce my partnership with Chumba to bring the fun home all year long, making it accessible and easy to all.”
The fun just got serious, with more information to follow on the case.
Image credit: Ryan Seacrest/X
