Sweepstakes casino is a popular type of casino in the United States and Canada. Sweepstakes cash casinos are an alternative to regular online casinos that don’t require real money to play. Find your next sweepstakes casino online, rated automatically by our trusted CasinoRank system.
What Is a Sweepstakes Casino?
Sweepstakes casinos provide a unique gaming experience to players in the US and Canada, where online gambling remains illegal in most states and provinces. The games played at these casinos look very similar to regular casino games, but the difference is that they are not played with real money.
Sweeps cash casinos in the USA usually work on a two-coin system, meaning that players use two types of coins or virtual currencies to play their favourite games. Players don’t need to deposit real money to play at a sweeps casino. They receive a certain amount of Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins as a part of their welcome bonus. Bets are only made in Gold Coins while Sweeps Coins are used to redeem prizes.
As players don’t use real money to play at the best sweep coin casinos, they aren’t considered gambling sites, meaning they are entirely legal in the US. You do have the option to redeem your sweeps coins for cash prizes, but you should check the casino rules before making any requests.
History of Sweepstakes Casinos
To talk about sweepstakes casinos, we should first touch on the history of sweepstakes in the US. Even though we can date some kind of sweepstakes back to the early 20th century, they mostly gained popularity in the 1950s when some of the biggest brands in the US organised campaigns that led people to buy products with the prospect of winning a prize.
Those massive marketing campaigns involved valuable prizes, and all people had to do was make a purchase, send proof and fill out an application form to sweep a prize in the form of a car, exotic trip, or even cash.
Sweepstakes quickly moved to the online space, giving companies a chance to reach more people. Participating in these sweepstakes campaigns became much easier, and the whole idea of online sweepstakes led to the emergence of online sweepstakes casinos in the USA as a legal alternative to real-money casinos. Nowadays, there is a large number of new sweepstakes casinos opening up in various US states, but some of them are changing its sweeps laws to restrict the reach of such websites.
Why Are Sweepstakes Casinos Popular?
Online gambling in the US is legal in six states only: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In other states, sweeps cash online casinos flourished, providing an opportunity for iGaming enthusiasts to enjoy playing their favourite casino games legally.
Another thing that contributes to the popularity of sweeps cash casinos is the fact that players don’t need to spend any money to play because they get their coins through casino bonuses. However, players that want to spend more time at the casino have a choice of purchasing additional Gold Coins through various packages.
Last but not least, online sweepstakes for money are available in almost every state, so chances are that most US players can create their own accounts and start playing their favourite sweep games in a matter of minutes.
How Does a Sweepstakes Casino Work?
Sweepstakes casinos don’t allow players to use real cash when making bets. Instead, every player receives a welcome bonus that contains Gold Coins (and some Sweeps Coins) when creating an account at any free SC online casino. Coins are later used to play the games they choose at the casino.
Players also typically get a bonus every day they log into their accounts or complete other milestones. If this amount of Gold Coins is not enough for you, you can purchase a Gold Coin package for a certain price, and the casino will throw in some Sweeps Coins as a bonus.
All bets at a sweepstakes casino are made in Gold Coins, and you can win prizes in Sweeps Coins that can later be redeemed for real cash in accordance with casino rules. The games are pretty much the same as in regular casinos, except that they are not played with real money bets.
Difference Between Sweeps Cash and Gold Coins
As mentioned, Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins or Sweeps Cash are the two digital currencies or tokens used in sweepstakes casinos. Some sweeps cash casinos online have their own versions of these coins that can be named differently.
Gold Coins are used to play casino games at free sweeps cash casinos. Players can get them as a welcome bonus when they sign up at a casino or purchase them through gold coin packages. Should you decide to purchase Gold Coins, you can use any available payment method that the casino lists on the website for the purchase, like debit or credit cards, e-wallets or other methods. Gold Coins are not redeemable for cash prizes and can only be used to play games.
When players win at a sweepstakes casino, they get Sweeps Coins or Sweeps Cash. These coins can also come as a part of the welcome bonus or as a gift when a player purchases a Gold Coins package. You can also obtain Sweeps Coins by participating in tournaments or giveaways. Sweeps Coins are redeemable for real money prizes, and you should check the casino’s redeeming requirements.
Sweepstakes Casinos vs. Real Money Casinos
The main difference between sweeps casinos and real money casinos is that you don’t make any kind of money deposits when playing at a sweepstakes casino. Instead, you receive Gold Coins through promotions or purchase the virtual currency and play to win some Sweeps Coins you can later redeem.
Sweepstakes casinos are not gambling sites. They allow users to play the same games as players in regular online casinos but without making any real money deposits. However, it is possible to redeem cash in any real prize sweeps casino if you collect enough redeemable coins. On the other hand, you deposit directly into a regular online casino, and make withdrawals to your bank/e-wallet, without redeeming prizes.
The best sweeps cash casinos offer generous deals and common offers so that you can claim Gold Coins easily and play regularly. On the other hand, real money casinos do have bonuses, but they aren’t as common.
Sweeps Cash Casinos vs. Social Casinos
You already know that sweeps cash casinos use the two-coin system, allow players to play casino games for free, but they offer options to purchase coins and redeem cash prizes. They also aren’t classified as gambling websites and don’t fall under gambling laws.
On the other hand, social casinos are free-to-play and the social aspects of the casino are highlighted. There’s only one type of currency and you never make any deposits or redeem any prizes. Also, social casinos are more experimental with their games, while sweeps stick to the tried-and-tested casino offerings.
In social casinos, players will find different tools they can use to connect with other players and there’s a sense of community, while that’s not available at sweepstakes. Additionally, the restrictions for social casinos aren’t strict while sweepstake casinos must adhere to state laws.
How to Register at Sweepstakes Casinos?
The registration process at sweepstakes casinos works pretty much the same as with any other casino, except that you don’t make any real money deposits but claim your welcome bonus in Gold Coins or purchase them in a pre-determined package. Here are the steps to follow when registering and playing at a sweepstakes casino:
- Select a sweepstakes casino: All the casinos above are sweeps coins casinos where you can win real money, so feel free to choose the one you’d like to try. Note that we only list sweepstakes casinos on this page, and if you wish to play at a real money casino, you can visit our Casinos in the US or Casinos in Canada pages.
- Register: Follow the steps listed on the casino website to register your account.
- Claim a welcome bonus: Most casinos offer Gold Coins as a welcome bonus when you join them.
- Buy Gold Coins: When you run out of Gold Coins, you can buy them through packages, sometimes including Sweeps Coins as a free bonus gift. Gold Coins are not redeemable and are only used to play the games you choose at a sweepstake casino.
- Select a game: Choose a sweepstakes casino game you want to play.
- Win Sweeps Coins: You can’t buy Sweeps Coins, but you can win them when playing Sweeps slot once you login to a casino. Sweeps Coins can also be won as a prize by completing milestones such as referring a friend, sharing posts on socials, etc.
- Redeem Sweeps Coins for real cash prizes: Unlike Gold Coins, Sweep Coins are redeemable for real cash prizes.
Now that you know how registration works, it’s important to check if you’re registering at a sweepstakes casino which is legal in your state. This leads us to the legality of sweepstakes casinos.
Where Are Sweepstakes Casinos Legal?
Since sweep coin casinos in the USA don’t require cash bets to allow players to play games, they are not considered gambling sites, as we have mentioned many times already. Players can play these games for free because they receive a certain amount of coins through bonuses. That’s why sweepstakes casinos are legal in most US states, even though online gambling is only legal in a few right now.
Just as you can’t make bets using real money, you also can’t win cash directly, which is another proof that sweepstakes, in their essence, are not gambling sites, and if state laws don’t ban them specifically, they are considered legal in all US states except Idaho, Michigan and Washington. States such as Nevada and Montana are also discouraging players from participating in sweepstakes casinos and want to push them towards regualr casinos instead.
Sweepstakes casinos comply with US sweepstakes laws, which means that they don’t need any gambling licences and are not subject to gambling laws. Once you determined that you can register and play freely, let's explore some bonus offers.
Bonus Offers at Sweepstakes Casinos
A sweepstakes casino no deposit bonus looks pretty much the same as a regular casino no deposit bonus. When you sign up with a sweepstakes casino, you receive a certain amount of Gold Coins to play your favourite casino games and potentially some Sweeps Coins as well. A bonus can also come in the form of a discounted offer to purchase a Gold Coin package.
Sweepstake casino bonuses can also come in the form of daily login bonuses, referral bonuses, promotions, Wheel Spin, giveaways, and tournaments, among others. Look for no deposit sweepstakes bonuses to find and compare the best offers currently available. Sweepstakes casinos update their bonus offers regularly, so don't forget to check updates.
Have you tried any of these bonuses? Head to our dedicated forum thread and share your thoughts with fellow players looking to test them out.
What Prizes Can You Earn at Sweepstakes Casinos?
The prizes you earn at any real money sweepstake casino come in the form of Sweeps Coins. You can win Sweeps Coins when playing available online games at a sweepstake casino of your choice. All wins on slots (even jackpots) and other casino games are awarded in Sweeps Coins.
Casinos have the minimum amount of Sweeps Coins you can redeem, and the redemptions are sometimes limited to one per day, so make sure you have read and understood all the casino rules before redeeming your Sweeps Coins. Speaking of which, some of the redeemable prizes can include cash prizes, amazon vouchers, gift cards, branded merchandise and some others.
Pros and Cons of Sweepstakes Casinos
Sweepstakes casinos have their pros and cons, just like all other types of casinos. Some characteristics are the same as with regular online casinos, with most of them being optimised for mobile casinos and devices. In fact, almost all of them have sweepstakes casino apps you can usually download directly from the website of the casino. The games offer the same thrills to all players, regardless of the currency they are using. Here are some pros and cons of online casinos with sweeps coins:
Pros:
- Available to players who can't access regular online casinos (mostly in the US and Canada)
- Opportunity to win real cash prizes without depositing
- Accessible on mobile devices
Cons:
- Usually low-stakes
- Limited game selection
How to Choose the Right Sweepstakes Casino
First of all, you should know that the sweepstakes casinos that pay real money are legit and safe to play at, just like other regular casinos. When choosing an online sweepstakes casino to open an account with, you should first pay attention to a few details:
- Is the casino available in your country/state?
- Does it offer the games you’d like to play?
- What kind of bonuses does the casino offer?
- Which payment methods are available for redeeming prizes?
Other players’ opinions and reviews can also give you some additional information about the casino you wish to play at, so you can make an informed decision more easily. If you only want to play for fun, then you won’t care much about payment methods to use to redeem Sweeps Coins, but you will care about the game selection. If you prefer to play your favourite games on the go, then you need a casino that is fully optimised for a mobile gaming experience.
You can find most of this information on the casino website, and you can always check out our casino reviews for additional info on the casino and an unbiased expert review. By doing so, you ensure that you have chosen the best sweepstakes casinos to play at and have fun.
