Sweepstakes casinos aren’t your typical gaming sites; they’re sites where you can play your favorite casino-style games for free. You also have the chance to redeem Sweepstakes Coins for Cash prizes.
If you’re curious about how it all works, I'm going to walk you through. So, you’ll learn everything you need to know from how to get your hands on free Sweepstakes Coins to playing games with them and finally how to redeem them for prizes. Plus, I'll share some little known perks of playing at these sites that I've discovered.
Go to Stake.us
Go to Stake.us
So, let’s start with the basics - how sweepstakes casinos work. They’re different from traditional online casinos in that they use virtual currencies instead of real money and they operate on the basis that you don’t have to spend any money in order to participate in the games here. This setup keeps everything above board and legal in most states.
When you get stuck in, you'll encounter two main types of virtual currencies: Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. Gold Coins are just for fun, and they can’t be redeemed but Sweeps Coins, on the other hand, are used to play in sweepstakes mode and can be redeemed for gift card or cash prizes, after fulfilling certain playthrough and eligibility criteria. That’s the main difference between the two, really.
So, how do you get your hands on these virtual currencies without spending any money? Actually - most of the methods are free! Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways you can grab Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins for free:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Sign-Up Bonuses | Many sites offer a stash of GC and SC just for signing up. |
| Daily Login Rewards | Make it a habit to log in every day. These small daily bonuses can quickly add up over time. |
| Social Media Contests | Keep an eye on the casino's social media pages. They often run contests where you can win extra Gold Coins or Sweepstakes Coins |
| Referral Bonuses | If you know friends who enjoy gaming, get them to sign up using your referral link. You'll both get a bonus. |
| Mail-In Requests | This one's a bit retro, but you can send in a letter to request free Sweeps Coins. It’s just like old-school sweepstakes with cash prizes. |
Once you've got a nice little balance of Sweepstakes Coins and Gold Coins, you can get started playing games. At most of these sites you’ll find mostly slots, but there are a few that provide access to table games. For example, if you were reading a WOW Vegas review, you’d see that only slots are available in the lobby; but if you checked out a Pulsz review, you’d discover table games are in the mix, too.
Now this is where sweepstakes casinos become free online casinos with cash prizes - kind of. It’s not exactly like an online casino where you’d win money directly. You have to redeem your Sweepstakes Coins for real money prizes. Some sites, like Stake.us, even let you redeem prizes to a crypto wallet. The other option is to redeem your SC for gift cards. However, before you can redeem Sweeps Coins for cash prizes, there’s a few things you need to keep in mind:
Each casino has its own rules about how many Sweeps Coins you need before you can redeem them. For example, if you were reading a Chumba Casino review or researching McLuck, you’d see a low threshold—you only need 10 Sweepstakes Coins to begin redeeming for gift cards.
Before redeeming a prize, you'll need to go through a verification process. This usually involves providing a government-issued ID and sometimes a utility bill. It's just a way for the casino to make sure everything is legit, and that you’re not someone just pretending to be you.
From the time your redemption request is approved to the time your prize hits your account, can range from 24 hours to 10 days. It all depends on which of the free online casinos with cash prizes that you’ve chosen to sign up with.
I always recommend reading reviews to get an idea of how long it takes because casino FAQs aren’t entirely forthcoming with that information. For example, when reading a Fortune Coins review, you’d discover their redemptions take between 2 and 5 days, which is on the lower end of the scale.
Before you can redeem any Sweeps Coins for cash prizes, you will need to meet the relevant playthrough requirements. This means that you can’t just redeem SC from the welcome bonus straight away. You’ll have to play through your SC at least once (or the amount specified by the sweepstakes casino) before they become eligible for redemption.
The popularity of free online casinos with cash prizes and sweepstakes casinos has really taken off, and there are tons of sites out there. Since you’re new to this, I’ll give you a bit of advice on the best places to play:
McLuck has quickly become a favorite in the social casino world, and shows no signs of slowing down. Every day I login to this site, I’m greeted with new promotions and games. You can really tell that this operator knows how to keep things fresh.
There are hundreds of slots on the site, powered by top studios like Pragmatic Play and Betsoft, and you’ll even find some great live dealer titles in there too. The welcome bonus offers 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweepstakes Coin - with daily login rewards, races, and promotions to keep the excitement going.
WOWVegas has made a big impact since launching in 2022, offering over 1,000 games - all of which are slots. So, while you won’t find table games or live dealer games, the selection of slots on offer is one of the most diverse I’ve seen in my time playing at sweepstakes casinos.
Known for its generous bonuses, WOW Vegas gives new players 250,000 WOW Coins and 5 Sweepstakes Coins just for signing up.
For those of you who are new, Stake.us is a unique social casino that combines over 800 games with cryptocurrency integration. The platform offers exclusive Stake Originals, and a seamless experience for crypto enthusiasts. New players receive 260,000 Gold Coins and 55 Stake Cash as well as a generous 5% rakeback.
Sweepstakes casinos are a fun way to enjoy casino-style games completely for free, all while potentially getting the chance to redeem your Sweepstakes Coins for prizes. It’s a great opportunity to try something new and dip your toe into the world of casino gaming without having to spend any money. I’d highly recommended giving free online casinos with cash prizes a try to experience a new and novel gaming experience.
Sweepstakes casinos don’t allow players to immediately redeem their SC as soon as they get them. Actually, you have to meet the playthrough requirements. Some sites have a 1x playthrough, and others can go up to 3x. We’ll let you know which sites have the most reasonable terms and conditions for redeeming SC.
No, Gold Coins are the virtual currency at sweepstakes casinos that cannot be redeemed. Find out what you need to do in order to be able to redeem SC (Sweeps Coins) in our in-depth guide to free online casinos with cash prizes.
You can get Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins in several ways, including sign-up bonuses, daily login rewards, participating in social media contests, sending mail-in requests, and referring friends. Find out which methods yield the best rewards here.
Go to Stake.us
Go to Stake.us
