Online sweepstakes casinos provide you with a legal way to play your favorite casino-style games across the US. Without needing to make a purchase, you can soon load up top titles and immerse yourself in the fun.
To play, you’ll need to find yourself a sweepstakes casino online that ticks all of your boxes. Fortunately, we’ve all been very busy getting familiar with the differences between the best social casinos and sweepstakes platforms to bring you a complete look at the market today.
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Let's get this started by providing you with a quick round-up of what a sweepstakes casino actually is. In short, these platforms are play-for-fun gaming sites that mimic real money gambling platforms. However, you do not ever need to spend money here. Thus, they are considered in just about every US state.
As things stand, it is only Washington that prohibits sweepstakes gaming fully. However, even after they have been audited and deemed fair to operate by one of four statewide organizations, online sweepstakes casinos will still need to pass state checks before they are legally allowed to open their virtual doors.
Any online sweepstakes casino that is deemed legal to operate must provide you with the chance of playing for free. This is usually done by presenting you with various free-to-release promotions throughout your time online.
Each bonus will be made up of Gold Coins and/or Sweepstakes Coins. These two virtual tokens allow you to play casino-style games as you usually would – simply toggle between the two tokens, load up your preferred games, set your value, and spin.
Gold Coins are a play-for-fun token that cannot be redeemed or withdrawn. They can, however, be used to play on all sorts of titles, allowing you to test the waters, build strategies, and familiarize yourself with a platform before you consider making the move to promotional play.
Sweepstakes Coins are the alternative virtual token found at sweepstakes casinos online. These Sweepstakes Coins can be used to play games in promotional mode only. Any winnings can become eligible to be exchanged for prizes.
Due to the very nature of online sweepstakes casinos, you’ll find that they fall under a very different legal header from real money gambling. As we’re sure you are aware, real money gambling is a tricky topic across the US, featuring different laws and legislations across each individual state. Fortunately, things are much more straightforward when considering sweepstakes casinos.
Currently, the only state that fully prohibits online sweepstakes casinos is Washington. Provided that a sweepstakes casino has been audited by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), United States Postal Service (USPS), or the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), you’ll find that up to 49 US states have potential to house them. Of course, specific states will also have their own reasons for not fully backing certain platforms. Thankfully, this is all covered in our dedicated reviews.
To obtain statewide and state clearance, you’ll find that all sweepstakes casinos must pass a certain criteria:
Once you’ve got the legal side of things out of the way and confirmed that your chosen sweepstakes casino is available in your state, you’ll want to make your way on-site and begin working your way through the registration process.
Thanks to how the best social casino sites work, you won’t need to worry too much about passing KYC from the off. Instead, you’ll need to locate the ‘register’ button, fill out a few details, and usually click on a link sent directly to your email address. From here, you should find that your welcome bonus has been unlocked and the gaming lobby is ready to explore.
With an understanding of what to expect from the registration stage now firmly under your belt, let us take a look at how easily you can do it.
It is no secret that one of the great perks of playing at an online sweepstakes casino is the fact that you never need to make a purchase. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise to hear that you can kickstart your time online with a solid sign-up offer.
Depending on your chosen platform, you may find that both Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins are released allowing you to play for fun or with the chance of later redeeming prizes. Often, very few terms will be attached, meaning that you can unlock, load up, and start playing with your virtual tokens almost instantly.
Although we mention that purchases aren’t required, it is worth noting that you can still make them. In fact, some sweepstakes casinos online will provide you with pretty competitive first-time purchase promos, too.
You’ll need to load up your account with virtual tokens to play games at an online sweepstakes casino. Usually, this will mean playing for fun with Gold Coins and in a promotional mode with Sweepstakes Coins. Although these tokens may be referred to as something different, the way they are used will remain the same.
Gold Coins are a sweepstakes casino's play-for-fun virtual currency. You can use these coins to play across the full lobby for entertainment purposes only. You cannot withdraw these coins, nor can they be redeemed for prizes down the line.
They prove to be the perfect tool for testing new games and new strategies. Plus, thanks to the volume of GC often released as part of promotions, you’ll find that they offer up hours of fun.
Gold Coins can be won, released as part of a free promo, or purchased. However, any purchase will not increase the chance of landing a winning spin.
Sweepstakes Coins work in a similar way, but have some pretty clear differences. For starters, you can’t always use these coins in the full portfolio of games. Instead, you may find that a smaller library of promotional titles becomes available.
Again, they don’t hold any real-world value directly. However, winnings from SC can be redeemed for prizes, provided certain thresholds and limits have been met. They also cannot be purchased directly, but can be released as part of any free-to-release promotions.
| Gold Coins | Sweepstakes Coins |
|---|---|
| Play for fun | Play in promotional mode |
| Available to play on all casino-style games | May only be available on promotional titles |
| Can be purchased, unlocked, and won | Cannot be purchased directly |
| Cannot be redeemed or withdrawn | SC winnings have the potential to be redeemed for prizes |
Roll up, roll up! If you weren’t having fun already, now is where we can almost guarantee that’ll change. The sweepstakes casino lobbies provide the main source of entertainment – bar laughing at bizarre strategies and gloating players in the chat rooms, that is.
Nowadays, you can expect the best social casino sites to receive help from big developers, including NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, and Evolution. In turn, we are seeing portfolios that now compete with real-money gambling alternatives. Time to take a quick look at what you should expect.
We’ve mentioned quite a few times that purchases are not essential. While this is true, that doesn’t mean that they can’t be made at all. In fact, you’ll find plenty of sweepstakes casinos online offering you the chance to pick up a number of perks with every Gold Coin package purchase you make. In some instances, this could include free SC, live chat, and exclusive games.
When it comes to prize redemptions, you’ll need to bear in mind that only eligible winnings from playing in promotional mode will be available. You’ll also notice that a minimum playthrough requirement and overall value must be met before any requests can be put forward. Although it changes from site to site, expect prizes to include a number of the following.
It isn’t all about the sign-up stage. The best social casinos will make sure that you can keep your balance topped up throughout your time online. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common promotions you’re likely to come across.
We’ve discussed it a couple of times, but – just to reiterate – sweepstakes casinos are legally required to provide you with ways to continue playing for free. So, for the most part, sweepstakes casinos will offer some sort of daily login bonus that can be redeemed by simply logging back in every 24 hours.
A great example of this is detailed in our Fortune Coins review. Here, you will find that you can pick up a huge stack of Gold Coins and free SC every single day. To redeem, you’ll just need to click ‘collect’ once you’re back on-site. However, on other platforms, you may be expected to spin a prize wheel, roll a dice, open a chest, or play another novelty game before it lands in your playable balance.
Alongside a daily login bonus, you’ll find daily tournaments and races. These leaderboard-style competitions require you to land amongst the top ten, fifty, or one hundred places in order to receive a portion of a GC and/or SC prize pool.
To qualify, you may be expected to opt-in or play between certain hours. It is also fairly common to find daily races or tournaments that are focused on one single title or a collection of games from one specific software developer.
Social media giveaways allow you to pick up virtual tokens without even visiting the site. Based on the premise that you are already a member, you can head on over to Facebook, X, Instagram, or Discord, interact with specific posts, and soon find Gold Coins and/or Sweeps Coins added to your balance.
The idea is simple enough – these platforms want to build an interactive community. So, understandably, one of the easiest ways to do that is to get current members sharing, liking, commenting, and retweeting in order to gain extra playing time.
The refer-a-friend bonus works exactly as you would imagine. In short, you’ll send a link to your friends or family, they’ll enter this code when registering, and you'll receive some kind of bonus made up of virtual tokens.
Of course, as you’ll have noticed in our Pulsz review, the terms and conditions surrounding this bonus will vary from sweepstakes casino to sweepstakes casino.
The VIP program is an effective rewards system that offers perks to players based on their continued loyalty. For every slot you spin and every raise you call, you’ll find that your XP level shoots up. Once you’ve reached the next level, you’ll receive perks and promotions to congratulate you for reaching the next tier.
As you would expect, these perks and bonuses will get bigger as your level rises. Plus, they will vary considerably depending on where you finally decide to play. In some instances, we’ve even stumbled across sweepstakes casinos online that allow you to link associated real money gambling loyalty cards to your account. In turn, your progress, activity, and winnings will contribute to your real prize rewards.
In our WOW Vegas review, we even discovered that some platforms are making the process of moving your loyalty points over to another site straightforward. In turn, you won’t have to start working your way up from the bottom, and can reap similar rewards to those at your previous sweepstakes casino.
Legally, you’ll find that sweepstakes casinos must provide you with a way to collect Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins through an AMoE. Usually, sweepstakes casinos will make this process fairly straightforward, requiring a specific request to be sent directly to HQ.
This bonus is usually pretty competitive; however, it can take some time to process as you are reliant on the postal service. Once received, though, you will find that your virtual tokens are added to your account pronto.
Of course, all of these great perks would be borderline redundant if you can’t physically access or make use of your chosen sweepstakes casino.
So, when it comes to picking out the best, make sure that you can visit the platform in the way that you wish. Generally, most sweepstakes casinos will allow you to access via the desktop or mobile browser. Naturally, the mobile site will have been optimized to suit the smaller screen. Now, although mobile apps are few and far between, they aren’t completely unheard of, either. If that’s what you need, we’ve got reviews for you.
Happy with what we expect from a top new sweepstakes casino? Great. In that case, it is definitely time for us to showcase our top picks from December.
When it comes to finding the best of the bunch, you can’t go too wrong with Stake.us. The popular sweepstakes casino has it all – a simple registration process, a huge casino-style gaming lobby, responsive support, and much more.
You can even get yourself started with our exclusive promo code SPORTSGAMBLER. Provided this is entered when you sign up, you’ll unlock 260,000 GC, $55 in SC, and 5% Rakeback without ever making a purchase.
You can then toggle between the two styles of play before loading up games, entering tournaments, testing out new releases, and showboating any wins in the chat room.
McLuck is another top choice for those of you looking for a complete sweepstakes casino experience. As a new user, you can race through a simple on-site form before unpacking 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 free SC. Once released, you can toggle between the two styles of play as you work your way through a lobby made up of over 700 titles. Pragmatic Play and 3Oaks are just two of the developers leading the way; however, you’ll find new releases are added every single week.
Beyond the gaming lobby, you’ll find that you can enter competitions, join the VIP program, pick up Gold Coins every day, and you also have the chance to land a McJackpot. Support is incredibly responsive thanks to the live chat feature, and you can keep things social by referring your friends along the way.
WOW Vegas is another established sweepstakes casino that is a great choice for any serious casino-style gaming fans. The site has also just undergone a pretty serious makeover, making it even easier to use.
To get started, you can work through the on-site form, create your player profile, and unpack 150,000 WOW Coins. Then, you can begin working your way through a packed library of over 900 casino-style games. You can expect titles from Habanero, Betsoft, and Pragmatic Play; however, WOW Vegas is well-known for releasing new titles regularly.
You can pick up daily login bonuses or make one-off purchases to keep your WOW Coins topped up. Plus, further rewards are available to those working through the VIP program. Should you be joining from another site, you’ll find that you can transfer your details across and won’t need to start from level one, either.
Before you start working your way through our dedicated reviews, searching for the best sweepstakes casinos in 2024, let us quickly offer up some tips to help you get the most out of your gaming experience. Although these tips don’t offer any guarantees, they will give you a great head start.
By now, you should know that most sweepstakes casinos will make use of two virtual currencies. Your Gold Coins are the play-for-fun virtual token, presenting you with a chance to test out games and strategies with entertainment as the main focus.
Due to the nature of these virtual tokens, you’ll often find that sweepstakes casinos gift you huge amounts of Gold Coins as part of various promotions. As winnings can’t later be redeemed for prizes, they are also perfect for testing games out and familiarizing yourself with how the platform works as a whole.
One of the great things about sweepstakes casinos online is that they do not require a purchase to play. So, there is no need to worry about wasting funds while testing out multiple different sites – unless you want to, of course.
With this in mind, I would suggest getting familiar with a few different online sweepstakes casinos before you finally lock-in and start working your way through the VIP program. If you haven’t already, you can make use of my latest Chumba Casino review to get you started. Here, you’ll find one of the most impressive welcome offers available. Although, only you can judge whether the gaming lobby and additional perks tick the rest of your boxes.
Earlier, you will have found out more about the social element of online sweepstakes casinos. For us, we think this is a huge piece of the puzzle that can really help separate good sweepstakes casinos online from the very best.
When working your way through our comparisons, you’ll find that you can interact through social media and pick up virtual tokens, refer your friends and add GC and SC to your account, and discuss strategies and make friends with like-minded players in the lobby. Not only does this all add to the social experience, but it adds to your pot of virtual tokens, too – what’s not to love?
Well, we reckon that should be just about enough information to help you understand exactly what the sweepstakes casino experience can offer. If it sounds like something you’d be interested in, then please take some time to check out the banners on this page.
Here, we’ve highlighted a few of our favorite sweepstakes casinos in December and created reviews to provide you with a closer look. Expect information on promotions, games, prizes, and more to help you find your perfect place to play.
Sweepstakes casinos will almost certainly provide you with a mobile experience that can be enjoyed via browser. However, some new sweepstakes casinos may even have dedicated apps aimed at making the social gaming experience as accessible as possible.
No. Sweepstakes casinos make use of two virtual currencies, allowing you to play for fun or with the chance of later redeeming prizes. Unfortunately, you cannot win money directly. However, winnings from your Sweepstakes Coins can be redeemed for prizes further down the line.
Definitely not. Legally, online sweepstakes casinos must make sure that you can continue to play casino–style games without ever making a purchase. Although purchases are possible, you will find that you can simply login and unlock free-to-release promos throughout.
If you encounter a problem while logging in or registering at a social casino, you should be able to get in contact with support easily enough. Most will offer helpful FAQs, an on-site submission form, or even dedicated live agents.
Absolutely. Provided you aren’t physically located in Washington, you’ll find that you can enjoy the full social gaming experience at a credible sweepstakes casino online. Just take advantage of the banners on this page to find a new place to play.
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