I’ve been looking into how sweepstakes casinos work, to bring you the ultimate guide to online sweepstakes casinos. This type of gaming allows you to play for free through the use of virtual coins – Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.
The exact rules will vary slightly between each sweepstakes casino, but you can expect to find a variety of bonuses that reward you with virtual coins for free. Plus, you can redeem real prizes with Sweeps Coins, including cash, gift cards, and merchandise. So, get ready as I uncover all the tips for playing on sweepstakes casinos.
The fundamental difference between free online casinos with cash prizes and traditional casinos is the types of coins that are used. On sweepstakes casinos, you will use virtual coins known as Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.
All sweepstakes casinos will dish these out for free in a variety of promotions and by playing games. Although, you do have the option to purchase extra bundles of Gold Coins.
But as these two virtual coins have different functions, here’s a social casino games explanation of how the coins work:
| Coin | Can they be purchased? | Can I redeem prizes? | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Coins | Yes | No | To play games |
| Sweeps Coins | No | Yes | To win real prizes |
It’s important to note here that Sweeps Coins can be used to play games, but only in sweepstakes mode. This means that you will be playing for a chance at winning more Sweeps Coins, which can then be used to redeem prizes later.
I’ve spent plenty of time playing at online sweepstakes casinos and I believe the following six brands should give you a great taste of the kind of thing that you should be looking for:
Stake.us is one of the hottest sweepstakes casinos in the US and it’s easy to see why. After all, the brand’s site features hundreds of quality slots and table games that come from major developers like Pragmatic Play, and then it’s got a great live casino and those Stake Originals too.
The best part is that you can sign up using our exclusive JAXON code to get a welcome offer that gives you $25 in no deposit bonuses alongside 250,000 Gold Coins and 5% rakeback on your losses. Plus with the ability to redeem prizes like cryptos, gift cards and merchandise, there’s no real option but to sign up to Stake.us and start playing.
This is a sweepstakes casino that has been picking up plenty of fans as a result of its huge collection of slot games. There are literally hundreds of online slots here and you can also look forward to playing table games like roulette and blackjack.
Wow Vegas has a great welcome offer that gives you 30 SCs on your first purchase and you’ll also get 4.5 SCs free. Perfect for making a good start to being able to redeem those cash prizes.
High 5 is well known for being a great slots developer but the brand has also launched its own sweepstakes casino. This means that you can play at the site or download the High 5 Casino app and enjoy playing literally hundreds of those famous slot games for free.
It’s also worth noting that you can redeem cash prizes and gift cards from this sweepstakes casino, and there’s a welcome offer that gives you $5 in no deposit bonus, 250 GameCoins and 600 Diamonds.
I think that Fortune Coins is a great choice for anyone new to online sweepstakes gaming. OK, so it isn’t the largest sweepstakes casino that you will ever see, but you’ll get to play lots of fun slot games and there are also some interesting games of video poker, keno and even some fishing games.
Fortune Coins has a great welcome offer that gives you $10 in no deposit free coins, 360,000 Gold Coins and $8 more free coins. Plus with the ability to redeem cash prizes, I think that there is a fair chance that you might start playing here.
You’ll love playing at Golden Hearts Games because this is a charity-based sweepstakes casino where a proportion of your payments goes to a charity of your choosing. But the feel-good factor doesn’t end there, as you can redeem cash prizes and gift cards here too.
The action starts with a welcome offer that gives you 250,000 Gold Coins and 3,000 free Sweeps Coins, and from here you can use this credit to play lots of slots, bingo games, blackjack, scratchcards, and much more.
This is one of the most exciting new sweepstakes casinos to hit the US for quite some time. Much of this is down to the fact that Sweeptastic has an excellent variety of casino games that include slots, card games, dice games, and fun Originals like Crash.
You can start here with a bonus that gives you 25 SCs extra free on first purchase and 2 SCs free and from here you can keep playing to redeem prizes like cash, gift cards and merchandise. Highly recommended.
Getting started is easy. Check out more in this sweepstakes casino guide to registration to find out how to create your account:
Most sweepstakes casinos will give you a welcome bonus upon sign-up. From there, you will be able to find further promotions including daily login bonuses, VIP programs, and competitions. While the promotions will vary depending on your chosen casino, you can expect to find a good selection of ongoing offers.
In most countries, you need to be at least 18 years old to access sweepstakes casinos. However, some US states require you to be 21 years old or above. You should familiarize yourself with your local laws to make sure that you are legally allowed to play at online sweepstakes casinos. If you’re not sure, my guides to online sweepstakes in the US will be able to help.
If you’re new to the world of online gaming, you will also need to be vigilant about using reputable brands. You will find recommended lists of operators on the banners on this page. With common sweeps scams going around, you should only use highly recommended operators.
If you are checking out our social casino guides to understand the legality, I can help. As sweepstakes casinos are for fun and entertainment only, you don’t play with real money. Because of this, it is not considered to be a form of gambling.
Online gambling is restricted in most US states, but sweepstakes casinos are legal in most states except Idaho, Nevada, and Washington, for this very reason. While sweepstakes casinos work hard to replicate the experience, it’s fundamentally different.
As you can see, sweepstakes casinos offer a brilliant way of enjoying free online gaming. You will use virtual coins to play games which can be unlocked in a variety of promotions and competitions. If you get your hands on Sweeps Coins, you can also redeem them for real prizes.
With no financial risk, these types of casinos are perfect for beginners, those who live in areas where gambling is restricted, and anyone who wants to practise playing casino games. Overall, these sites are open to anyone of any skill level. Whatever games you enjoy playing, there will be the perfect sweepstakes casino out there for you.
Yes, any of the guides to online sweepstakes casinos will explain that this is possible. All you need to do is claim Sweeps Coins, which can then later be exchanged for prizes. The prizes will vary depending on your chosen casino, but it is typically a choice between real cash, gift cards, and merchandise.
Whatever your preferred games, there will be a sweepstakes casino that matches you perfectly. You will be able to find casinos with a selection of slots, table games, dice games, bingo, scratch cards, and much more.
Sweepstakes casinos are more widely available in the US than traditional casino sites. This is because they don’t allow real money gambling. You can play at sweepstakes casinos in most states, except Washington.
Yes, most sweepstakes casinos are mobile-friendly. Some will offer a downloadable mobile app, while others will offer a browser site. You can find mobile gaming options for your chosen casino on the website after signing up.
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