What is a sweepstakes casino?
Sweepstakes and social casinos offer the chance to play casino games with absolutely no financial risk. Depending on the operator, you’ll find you can play slots, indulge in some table games including Blackjack and Baccarat and possibly even enjoy a little sports betting too – and it’s always completely free, thanks to the use of virtual currency.
Rather than using your own dollars, gameplay at sweepstakes casinos is activated by digital game tokens that come in two distinct types, known as Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. Knowing how they work is key to understanding the concept of the sweepstakes casino.
Gold Coins are just for fun
All sweepstakes casinos aim to get you started with a welcome bonus of Gold Coins, so you can spin up the reels of a few slot games or explore some of the
online sweepstakes casino games
available to you. Gold Coins are used in place of real money, so your bankroll is never put at risk – in fact real money can’t even be deposited at a sweepstakes casino.
Decide how many of your Gold Coins you’d like to wager on each game, with any winnings paid directly back into your Gold Coin account. You’re going to need some other means of keeping your balance topped up though, and sweepstakes casinos always make sure they offer plenty of options.
Operators vary in the way they offer additional Gold Coins, but popular methods include:
- Daily login bonuses just for signing into your sweepstake casino account.
- Weekly and monthly bonuses for regular players.
- Prize draws and giveaways, often accessed via social media channels.
- Tournaments and challenges, with Gold Coin prizes for players who top the leaderboards.
Most sweepstakes casinos offer the chance to purchase Gold Coins, although it’s essential to note that this is only an option. Buying Gold Coin packages won’t make it any more likely that you’ll win games, so the only benefit is not having to wait for your next bonus to arrive.
Sweeps Coins can lead to real cash prizes
Whereas Gold Coins are just for fun and freely available, Sweeps Coins are a little harder to come by. There’s no such thing as a deposit bonus at a sweepstakes casino, since there’s never an option to play games using real money. But sweeps casinos usually give out a few free Sweeps Coins along with the introductory Gold Coin bonus, to get your collection started.
The key thing to remember about Sweeps Coins is that, unlike Gold Coins, they can’t ever be purchased. These are strictly promotional tokens given out for free by the operator, which is a legal requirement for every reputable sweepstakes casino. Having said that, some operators will include a few bonus Sweeps Coins along with selected Gold Coin bundles, but it’s not something that can be relied upon. And it’s certainly not a fast track to adding to your Sweeps Coins collection either.
Once again, sweepstake casino operators vary in the way they make their Sweeps Coins available, but these are some of the most popular
sweepstakes casino bonus drop codes:
- Free gifts from the sweepstake casino operator.
- Login bonuses and rakeback offers.
- Prize draws and giveaways.
- Onsite competitions, including slot tournaments.
All sweepstake casinos are legally obliged to offer an alternative method of entry, or AMOE. This requires players to make postal applications for Sweeps Coins, which come with extremely strict conditions attached in terms of the size of the card application and the precise wording of the request. Applications must be handwritten, for example, so it’s always essential to read through the sweepstake casino rules thoroughly, making sure you know exactly what’s required of you.
Redeeming cash prizes for your Sweeps Coins
Unlike Gold Coins, which are purely for fun, your Sweeps Coins be redeemed once they’ve been played through according to the operator’s specific terms. Depending on your chosen sweepstakes casino you’ll be given the option to claim real money prizes or receive gift cards or merchandise.
Although it sounds too good to be true that you can play the
best casino social slots
for free and potentially win real money from the activity, it’s something that hundreds of thousands of players throughout the US are already enjoying. Which leads on to the question of whether it’s legal to sign up to a sweepstakes casino and possibly redeem cash prizes.
Are sweepstakes casinos legal in the US?
Online gambling laws in the US are extremely strict, so opportunities for playing online casino games using real money aren’t widely available. Even in states where retail casinos operate, it doesn’t necessarily follow that online casinos are permitted, which gives limited chances to explore even the most popular casino games, such as Roulette and Blackjack.
However, gambling laws don’t apply when it comes to sweepstakes casinos, as there’s no real money gameplay involved. If you’re not betting something of value on a chance outcome then it isn’t gambling, and sweeps cash casinos don’t allow any real money deposits.
Sweepstakes and social casinos are available throughout the US
Social casinos don’t offer any chances to win cash prizes, or any other tangible gifts, so they’re legal everywhere across the US. Since sweepstakes casinos provide players with the chance to win real money, Washington takes the view that an element of gambling is still involved. However, even the Evergreen State permits residents to sign up to Golden Hearts Games.
Although it’s technically an online sweepstake casino, Golden Hearts Games is unusual in that it operates on charitable donations. Make a donation to your favorite charity and Golden Hearts Games will match it in bonus funds. Use those credits to play slots, bingo and instant win games and there’s the possibility that you could win real money prizes, paid directly into your bank account.
Explore a world of sweepstakes slots that could spin up cash prizes
Sweepstakes casino sites cover just about every type of game that you’d expect to find in traditional online casinos, so there’s something for absolutely every type of gaming fan. But it’s the slots that are the big attraction, with fans queueing up to play their favorites.
Over at Stake.us, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled across a real money casino by mistake. But look beyond the sophisticated design and you’ll discover one of the finest collections of online slot games to be found at any sweepstakes casino. You can spin up the reels of
Stake.us slots
like Chaos Crew and Undead Fortune from Hacksaw Gaming, or spend some time in The Dog House courtesy of Pragmatic Play.
If you feel more in the mood for original slot games that come packed with innovative bonus features, look no further than LuckyLand Slots. Ideal for a relaxing and entertaining reel-spinning session, these games rival anything you’d find at real money casinos, and it won’t cost a single cent to play them.
There are sweepstakes casino sites for every type of gaming enthusiast
Whatever your taste in terms of casino games, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find one or more sweepstake casinos that will feel as though they could have been created with you in mind. One thing that all the best sweepstakes casinos have in common is that, although it feels like online gambling, with no real money on the table there’s no financial risk. And given the chance to redeem rewards, including real money prizes, it’s a certainty that online casino sweepstakes are here to stay.
Sweepstakes casino sites FAQ
Are sweepstakes casinos legal everywhere in the US?
Most states, apart from Washington, are perfectly happy to permit sweepstakes casinos to operate. But state laws never remain static for long, so it’s always worth checking which online sweepstakes casinos are available where you live.
What sweepstakes games are available to play?
Most sweepstakes casinos tend to offer a variety of online slot games. Over at WOW Vegas, for example, there are well over 300 slots from the likes of Pragmatic Play and Betsoft. If live dealer tables and blockchain-based Stake Originals are more your style, Stake.us is worth a closer look.
Are sweepstakes games always free to play?
Yes, to qualify as a sweepstakes contest, entries must be free. Sweeps Coins can only be won or given away by the operator for promotional purposes. This is a virtual currency that can be redeemed for real-life rewards, including real money, making them a firm favorite with players throughout the US.
Which are the best online sweepstakes casinos?
The best sweepstakes casinos are the ones offering the games you want to play, along with the social experience you’re hoping to find. There’s a sweepstakes casino suitable for absolutely everyone, and they all offer games that are completely free to play.
Do online sweepstakes casinos award real money prizes?
Free Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for tangible gifts once played through according to the operator’s rules. Sweepstakes games are always free, with the possibility of redeeming Sweeps Coins for gift cards, merchandise, and even real money in some cases.
