Sweepstakes Casinos – Pros and Cons
First of all, we have provided you with a list to help you weigh up the pros and cons of playing at a sweepstakes casino. Naturally, the direct comparison being made here is against real money casinos.
Pros
- Play casino-style games for free
- Free sweepstakes coins
- Chance to win cash prizes on most platforms
- Free welcome bonus on all sweepstakes casino sites
- Free Gold Coins daily
- The same quality of casino games as traditional online casinos
- Legal in 49/50 US states – more than real-money online casinos
Cons
- Not legal in Washington (State)
- Not the same experience as real online gambling sites
Getting started with sweepstakes casinos – Step-by-step
Are you completely new to the world of sweepstakes casinos? Not to worry, as our experts are on hand to walk you through the whole process.
In the step-by-step guide below, we will introduce you to online sweepstakes casinos and help you to find your ideal site. Additionally, you can also find out to get your free sweepstakes coins so that you can play casino games for the chance to win cash prizes.
1. Choose a sweepstakes casino
The first step of the process is to choose your ideal sweepstakes casino. We will introduce you to some of our top-rated sweeps cash casinos later on in this article. However, to get more detailed information, we recommend using our full social casino reviews here at TradersBest.
Once you have selected a sweepstakes casino, you just need to register your account. Many social casino sites will allow you to sign up in one or two clicks using your email or social media account.
3. Receive your welcome bonus sweepstakes coins
All social casinos will give you a welcome bonus that consists of free Gold Coins. Meanwhile, the best sites will also give you some free Sweepstakes Coins – which is the virtual currency that you can use to redeem cash prizes (more on this later).
4. Select and play some casino games
Now that you have a sweepstakes casino account loaded with Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins, you can play games. Browse through the library of casino-style games, pick one, and give it a try for free.
One of the great things about social casino games is that you can play them completely free if you like. However, you do also have the option to purchase more Gold Coins. But, if you are looking to win cash prizes, you might want to consider this since most Gold Coins packages come with a free sweepstakes coins bonus.
How Do Online Sweepstakes Casinos Work?
One of the main things that you need to know about sweepstakes casinos is that they function quite differently from real-money online casinos. The main difference is that, at an online sweepstakes casino, the games are played using virtual currencies.
At traditional online casinos, you can only bet on games using real money. The difference in the currencies used is what makes the distinction between a “social casino” and a “gambling site”.
Sweepstakes casinos vs Real-money online casinos – The main differences
There isn’t that much to contrast between these two online casinos – at the end of the day it boils down to two things:
- Real money casino sites
are classed as gambling operators and need to be licensed in each US state.
- Online sweepstakes casinos
do not need to be licensed as they offer entertainment-focused casino games, rather than gambling for money.
Despite this, you can win real money prizes with Sweepstakes Coins on some social casino sites. How and where you can do this has been explained in more detail below.
What are Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins?
Most online sweepstakes casino sites have two different virtual currency types available – Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins. Before you start playing it is vital to know the difference between the two.
Fortunately, we have provided you with a short but clear explanation here:
- Gold Coins
are the main virtual coins that you will use when playing at a social casino. You can get free Gold Coins, but you also have the option to purchase them in packages. However, they have no real money value and cannot be withdrawn or used to redeem prizes.
- Sweepstakes Coins
are promotional coins that you can use to play sweepstakes games. The key thing that separates the functions of Sweepstakes Coins and Gold Coins is that they can be used to redeem cash prizes, so they have some value added to them. Also, they cannot be bought, only won.
Can I win real money playing at sweepstakes casinos?
Now we get to the part that, for some of you, is the most important – can you win real money when playing at a sweepstakes casino? The answer, in short, is yes – so long as you are playing at a promotional sweepstakes casino.
These operators offer you the chance to win cash prizes when you have enough eligible sweepstakes coins in your balance.
You can see how this model works below:
- Collect free sweepstakes coins
- Play promotional sweepstakes casino games
- When you have won enough SC, they can be redeemed for cash prizes
How to get free sweepstakes coins
If you run out, you have the option to purchase more Gold Coins. However, that is not the case with sweepstakes coins. Instead, Sweepstakes Coins can only be collected for free or earned through bonuses, promotions, giveaways, and mail order requests.
At all of the best sweepstakes casinos, you can get a free bonus with sweepstakes coins as follows:
- Welcome offer:
With the first free bonus at any sweepstakes casino you will get some Gold Coins – but on the best sites you will get free sweepstakes coins as well.
- Daily reload:
On most sweepstakes casino sites you can log in daily to reload your balance with more bonus Gold Coins or even sweepstakes coins.
- Promotional Gold Coin package:
When you buy Gold Coins, look out for specially marked Gold Coin packages that come with free SC.
- Social media giveaways:
Most sweepstakes casino operators advertise giveaways of free SC on their social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
- Request by post:
In accordance with US law, every sweepstakes casino has to give you free sweeps cash if you send a written request by mail.
Top sweepstakes casinos for October 2024
1.
$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
2.
Get Up To 200 GC + 40 SC + 100 Diamonds!
3.
33 SC FREE and 67,777 Lucky Coins
4.
35 SC FREE and 1.75M WOW Coins
5.
25 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
How to claim sweepstake casino prizes
Once you have collected enough SC and played through them on promotional sweepstakes casino slots, they can be redeemed for cash prizes.
The process for redeeming prizes with your sweepstakes coins is different at every social casino. In general, though, it works roughly along these lines:
- Log into your Sweepstakes casino account.
- Head to the cashier or click on your Gold Coins or Sweepstakes Coins balance.
- Verify your account with ID and proof of address. That is if you haven’t done so already.
- Select the “Redeem” option that should now be available.
- Select the number of SC that you would like to redeem.
- Select your payment method and confirm your request.
- Wait for your cash prizes request to be approved.
- Once approved your real cash prizes should be in your account within 3-10 business days.
The best sweepstake casino bonus offers 2024
Now that we’ve looked at the process of playing at a sweepstakes casino for the chance to win real cash prizes, let’s take a look at some of the best sweepstake casino bonus offers.
WOW Vegas Casino Welcome Bonus
As a new player at Wow Vegas, you will get 1,000 Wow Coins (Gold Coins) and 1 free Sweepstakes Coin. Additionally, you will then be offered a special first-time Gold Coin package that comes with free bonus sweepstakes coins.
This bonus will cost you just $9.99 and you get 1.5 million Gold Coins and 30 free sweepstakes coins. For regular customers this same Gold Coin package costs $29.99, virtually saving you 200%.
35 SC FREE and 1.75M WOW Coins
Pulsz Casino No Deposit Bonus Codes – Free 2.3 sweepstakes coins + 5,000 Gold Coins
When you make a new Pulsz Casino account you can claim a completely free bonus. In total, you will get 5,000 Gold Coins and 2.3 SC to get you started.
You then have access to some of the best casino-style games, cash prizes, and one of the hottest sweepstakes casino apps around.
Play Slots For Fun, With 1000+ Free Fortune Coins
Fortune Coins is home to the biggest sweepstakes casino welcome bonus that there is. Here, all new players get 360,000 Gold Coins and 1,000 Fortune Coins (their version of Sweepstakes Coins) on sign-up.
You can use these free sweepstakes coins to play casino-style games including jackpot slots. table games, fish games, and more. Next to Pulsz Casino and Wow Vegas, this is one of our top-rated sweepstakes casinos.
Claim Your Free 650,000 Gold Coins & 1,400 Fortune Coins
The best online sweepstakes and social casinos in the US
Here is a short list of our top-rated sweepstakes casinos in the US:
- Stake.us
– The best all-round online sweepstakes casino with an exclusive bonus.
- Wow Vegas
– Over 300 social casino games including slots, table games, and more.
- Fortune Coins
– Among the top sweeps cash casinos for jackpot slot games.
- Pulsz Casino
– Great for playing slot games on mobile thanks to the app.
- Chumba Casino
– One of the oldest, and most trusted, sweepstakes casinos in the US.
Are sweepstake casinos legal in the US?
Yes, sweepstakes casinos are legal in most US states – with the exception of Washington. This is one of the biggest advantages that they hold over real money online casinos, which are only available in a small number of states.
In Washington, online sweepstakes prizes are not permitted by law. However, you may still be able to play free games on some social casino sites, such as BetRivers.net.
How old do I need to be to play at sweepstake casinos?
There are two separate sweepstakes casino age limits in the US and Canada, with a couple of caveats to highlight as well. We have covered all of this information for you below.
Legal age to play sweepstakes casino games in the US
Legally, in order to be able to play at a sweepstakes casino in the US, you need to be aged 18 or older. However, you will find that some operators have it specified in their T&Cs that you must be aged 21+ to play casino games on their site. So, be sure to look for this info before you start playing.
Sweepstakes casino minimum age in Canada
In Canada, the legal minimum age for playing sweepstakes games online is slightly higher, at 19. However, in Quebec, you will find that most sweepstakes casino sites are banned completely.
Our favorite sweepstakes casino bonuses
1.
$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Requirements (WR): 3x Deposit
2.
Get Up To 200 GC + 40 SC + 100 Diamonds!
Requirements (WR): 1x Bonus
3.
33 SC FREE and 67,777 Lucky Coins
4.
35 SC FREE and 1.75M WOW Coins
Requirements (WR): 1x Bonus, Min. Deposit: 9.99
5.
25 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
Sweepstakes casinos and free slot games – Product summary and conclusion
If you are based in the US and have never given sweepstakes slots a try, then now truly is the time. They are available in almost the entire country and you can play casino-style games for free on these sites.
Moreover, there are many sweepstakes casinos in the US, and you can test out as many as you want. So, why not check out some of our sweepstakes casino reviews and find your ideal place to play casino games online for free today? You can count on us to help you out!
Sweepstakes casinos FAQ
✅ Are sweepstakes casinos safe?
Here at TradersBest.com, we only recommend safe and secure providers. Check out our comparison tool and discover the safest sweepstakes casinos today.
🎰 How do sweepstakes casinos work?
Sweepstakes casinos actually work in quite a similar fashion to real money casinos. However, there are a couple of key differences that we have explained in our guides.
💰 Can I win any cash prizes at a sweepstakes casino?
Many players enjoy playing the free slots at a social casino but, after some time, the lure of cash prizes kicks in. But can you actually win any cash prizes at a sweepstakes casino? In this guide, you can find out everything you need to know.
