iGaming Editor
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Hawaii may not be a place that quickly comes to mind when discussing online gaming in the US. I get it — the state doesn’t allow traditional platforms. However, Hawaii sweepstakes online casinos are available as a superb alternative.
The deal with Sweeps Cash casinos is that they’re free-to-play. As such, there’s no actual money in play. At the same time, you can redeem your SCs for real prizes like crypto, cash, and gift cards. I spent some time testing the sweepstakes gaming sites in the Aloha State and found some gems. Read on as I uncover them.
After countless hours trying out numerous sweepstakes casinos available in Hawaii, I finally narrowed it down. These platforms stood out as the absolute top choices:
Stake.us made my experience authentic with live casino games from Iconic21 and also Stake Originals. I particularly enjoyed Take Deal or Risk Blackjack and Gravity Auto Roulette. The site gave me a massive welcome bonus of $55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback. You can get it, too, using the special promo code JAXONSOCIAL.
For prize redemptions, I found mostly cryptocurrency and a few FIAT options. With the former, processing was fast and took less than 24 hours. However, I had to first meet a 3x playthrough, which is higher than other Hawaii sweepstakes online casinos.
Signing up with WOW Vegas means a 250,000 GC + 5 SC welcome bonus. I didn’t need any code to claim it, and I think the amount of Gold Coins is commendable. That said, the aspect of WOW Vegas that impressed me most was the mobile app. It’s available for iOS and Android, with 4.9 and 4.6 stars out of 5 on both platforms, respectively.
The 900+ slots games in the WOW Vegas collection are one reason it ranks among the best US sweepstakes casinos anywhere. Just know you can’t play table games. In terms of redemption, WOW Vegas made things easy for me by supporting Skrill, ACH bank transfers, and gift cards.
In my opinion, McLuck takes its position as one of the newest Hawaii sweepstakes online casinos literally. On the site, I found some exciting fresh games under the New & Exclusive section. Haunted Reels by BGaming and Wisdom of Athena 1000 by Pragmatic Play were my favorites. There are live dealer games, too, but just six.
To enjoy these games, I had the 7,500 GCs and 2.5 free SC from the signup bonus to thank. The site also has a more massive referral program with 200,000 GC and 100 SC up for grabs. Ultimately, I was impressed by the 75 SC needed for cash redemption and 10 for gift cards. These are among the lowest you can get anywhere — not just in Hawaii.
When it comes to online gaming in the United States, Hawaii has some of the strictest laws. In fact, that’s me trying to be nice. The reality is that traditional online casinos are completely illegal in the Aloha State. However, you can still enjoy casino-style games without breaking the law, and that’s where sweepstakes casinos come in.
These casinos operate legally in Hawaii because they don’t fall under the state’s definition of conventional gaming. I’ll explain. Under Hawaii law, conventional gaming involves risking something of value in a game of chance for a possible reward. Sweepstakes casinos don’t take that route. At all three sites on my list, don’t ask for any initial purchase or payment to redeem prizes.
Instead, you use Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins, which are available for free via promotions. That way, sweepstakes gaming sites stay in line with the law. I did some research, and the key law that allows sweepstakes casinos to operate in HI is the Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 712-1220.
This isn’t exclusive to HI, though. Other US states where traditional gaming is restricted still allow social gaming for prize redemption. A good example is IL. The last time I was there, I had fun at Illinois sweepstakes casinos, but there were no conventional options in sight.
For me, the primary reason for playing at online casino sweepstakes Hawaii sites is to have fun. However, there’s nothing wrong with also targeting prize redemption. Whether you go with Stake.us, WOW Vegas, or McLuck, you’ll get this option.
If you’re new, the entire thing may sound complex, but it’s really simple. You just need to know the specifics involved. Below, I’ll break down the three main requirements:
One of the first things you must be aware of when redeeming prizes at a sweepstakes casino is the playthrough requirement. Simply put, this is the number of times you need to play the free Sweepstakes Coins you got from bonuses before you can redeem them for prizes.
Of course, it won’t make sense if you can exchange your SCs right away. Hence, the playthrough is in play to ensure no one takes advantage of the social gaming sites in Hawaii. Not just HI, though. I found the same at Florida sweepstakes casinos and platforms in all other states I’ve visited.
The playthrough requirement varies by platform, but from my experience, it’s usually 1x to 3x. Let’s suppose you receive 50 SCs as a bonus, and the casino has a 2x playthrough requirement. In that case, you’ll have to play with up to 100 SC (2 x 50) before redeeming. Clearly, a sweepstakes casino with a lower playthrough is better because it means you can get prizes faster.
Here’s a rundown of the playthrough requirement at my top three Hawaii sweepstakes online casinos:
Casino | Playthrough |
---|---|
Stake.us | 3x |
WOW Vegas | 1x |
McLuck | 1x |
The next key requirement for redeeming prizes at HI sweepstakes casinos is reaching the minimum Sweepstakes Coins amount. This makes sense because you can’t just request prizes for any number of SCs. You have to accumulate up to a notable amount for effortless processing.
If I’ve yet to mention, most sweepstakes casinos in the Aloha State redeem 1 SC for $1. So, the sites can’t process low amounts, as the transaction charges may be much higher. This is why gift card redemptions allow a smaller number of SC compared to cash. To illustrate, check out the minimum Sweepstakes Coins needed for redemption at my top picks in HI:
Casino | Playthrough |
---|---|
Stake.us | Changes, depending on the coin |
WOW Vegas | 100 SC for cash and 25 for gift cards |
McLuck | 75 SC for cash and 10 for gift cards |
As the above table shows, both McLuck and WOW Vegas have far higher minimum SCs for cash compared to gift cards. Notably, some platforms make it easy to track your SC balance in your account dashboard. Stake.us is a good example, and I appreciate it because you can monitor your progress toward the minimum requirement.
While I’m mentioning this last, it’s actually one of the first things you should do after registering with a sweepstakes casino in Hawaii. The sites are required by law to confirm your identity before claiming any real prizes. The reasons are to confirm you’re up to legal age and truly a resident of the Aloha State. Besides, ID verification is vital to prevent fraud and money laundering.
I verified my account at Stake.us, WOW Vegas, and McLuck. From the experience, I can say it’s not exactly a hard process to sail through. You only need to submit a few docs and files, including:
The above is standard everywhere. I had tried a few Georgia sweepstakes casinos before switching to Hawaii and also provided the documents to verify my ID.
Once you’ve submitted the files, the casino will review them. The process can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days, which is why I suggest you do it first after registering. This way, you won’t face delays once it’s redemption time.
❗ My pro tip: Make sure the docs you provide match the details you entered when signing up for the casino. If there are differences, you’ll face issues.
Without mixing words, I fully enjoyed my experience at Hawaii sweepstakes online casinos. The top sites I rank all have seamless redemption procedures. Verify your account, meet the playthrough, get up to the minimum SC amount, and you’re good to go.
I also love that Stake.us and McLuck have live dealer games. It’s crucial to have a real experience in a state like HI, where land-based casinos are not allowed. Yet, platforms like McLuck and WOW Vegas still have swift mobile apps for modern players who prefer using their smartphones.
If anything needs fixing, I can only point to the redemption time for cash prizes. WOW Vegas takes up to three days, while McLuck can delay for up to 10. In summary, there are main pros and cons of online sweepstakes casinos in Hawaii.
Choosing a quality site to enjoy casino games in HI shouldn’t be difficult. In this guide, I’ve made things super simple by reviewing and listing out the top three. So, make a go for Stake.us, WOW Vegas, or McLuck, and trust me, the experience will be top-notch. As you have fun with the thrilling games, don’t forget to redeem those real prizes once you cut it.
The only casinos in Hawaii are online sweepstakes gaming platforms. In Hawaii, there are no traditional online casinos or physical gaming houses.
Yes, social gaming is legal in Hawaii. While the state has a first stance against all forms of traditional gaming, it permits sweepstakes casinos to operate since they’re free-to-play.
If you play at Hawaii sweepstakes online casinos, you’ll have no problems, as the platforms are completely legal. Issues only arise when you attempt to use traditional online casinos, which are not permitted.
Social casinos in Hawaii don’t pay out in the conventional sense since they’re free-to-play sites. However, you can redeem your Sweepstakes Coins for real prizes once you meet all the requirements.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.