There's even a way to play one free entry at a time, by swiping their card at their terminal every play.ĭonating money to the VFW will net a player extra entries, too - 100 per dollar - but it's not required. Players get a chunk of free entries every day. Theoretically, it's possible for someone to play all day without donating a cent. They also have to read through rules and click 'Agree' before they can play. Players first have to get a card at a participating post to access their accounts. While 8-liner machines are both legal and prevalent throughout Texas, playing them to win cash or anything worth more than $5 is not.Īnyone playing the VFW's sweepstakes has a few more steps to go through than if they were feeding cash directly into an 8-liner. Playing a sweepstakes and winning money through it is legal under Texas law. The difference between the two is crucial. The 'Support A Veterans Sweepstakes' is just what its name says, they argue, a sweepstakes. 'Well, they think it's just a legalized 8-liner, and it's not,' said Greg Muirhead, a technician and sales manager for VSweeps.

The VFW and the sweepstakes operator, VSweeps, disagree. On computers connected to a central server, members and customers can play what appears to be casino-style games and win cash payouts.Ĭritics say the payouts and games, some of which appear similar to 8-liner games, are gambling. The blinking lights and beeps of the 'Support A Veteran Sweepstakes' terminals can be found at about one-third of the state's 326 VFW posts. SAN ANTONIO – They're controversial, and they're keeping many Veterans of Foreign Wars posts across the state afloat.

Texas vfw gambling lawsuit