- Twitch
- Kick
- CS2
- Dota 2
- LoL
- More Games
- Esports Betting
- Esports Betting Sites
- Social Betting Sites
- Sports Betting Sites
- Online Casino
- Esports Betting Tips
-
So, you want to learn more about New York sweepstakes law? Well, you’re certainly in the right place. This latest guide is packed with insight to help you understand whether sweepstakes casinos are legal in the Big Apple.
As you read on, you’ll find out more about how virtual tokens work, including a look at how they can be released throughout your time online. We also focus on prize redemption limits, the method of exchanging Sweeps Coins won through gameplay, and the various sweepstakes rules in place across New York.
First and foremost, it is worth noting that the New York sweepstakes law is similar to what you get in most other states. This means that you can enjoy playing at many of the biggest and best sweeps casinos anywhere from down in New York City up to Rochester and Buffalo. Just remember that you will usually have to be at least 18 years old to play at these gaming sites.
To enter, you won’t need to worry about making a deposit or splashing any cash; however, first-time purchase promos are often on the cards. For those who do not wish to spend any money, free-to-release promotions are the standard. This means that you’ll pick up virtual tokens for simply joining and registering to play here.
The chance of releasing free virtual tokens doesn’t end at the sign-up stage, either. In fact, it is a legal requirement of all New York sweepstakes casinos to offer you the chance to continue playing without ever spending a dime. You can unlock both Gold Coins and free Sweeps Coins in this way. Just remember that Gold Coins allow you to enjoy the full casino-style gaming experience with fun as the sole focus, and Sweeps Coins allow you to enter promotional play.
When looking at promotional play, you’ll need to understand that you won’t directly redeem winnings from your Sweeps Coins. Instead, you’ll need to play with your bonus Sweeps Coins and win additional Sweeps Coins through gameplay. Any additional Sweeps Coins that you win can then be played through before being considered redeemable. Of course, you will also need to make sure that you fall within the prize redemption limits.
Unlike many other states, New York sweepstakes rules dictate that you can only redeem a maximum of $5,000 at any one time. This is similar to those checking out Florida sweepstakes casinos, but such limits won’t apply to players in other states.
Sweepstakes casinos are online gaming platforms where you can play Vegas-style slots and table games for free. You also have the added bonus of switching between two styles of play, effectively allowing you to enjoy games with fun as the focus or with a promotional twist. Although New York sweepstakes casinos will look a lot like regular online casinos, they do have some key differences.
As you cannot gamble with your own money at sweepstakes casinos, you’ll find that they fall under a different legal header from real money gaming sites. In turn, they are accessible in most US states. This means you can soon visit New York sweepstakes casinos, California sweepstakes casinos, and sweeps casinos in almost every corner.
Instead of using your own cash, you’ll find that sweepstakes casinos will only let you play with virtual currencies. Often, these are referred to as Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins. Gold Coins are simply used to play for fun, while Sweeps Coins open up the doors to promotional play. Just bear in mind that it is only Sweeps Coins won through gameplay that have the potential to later be redeemed for prizes. Of course, a few additional terms must also have been met.
You shouldn’t be hoping to win money directly when playing at New York sweepstakes casinos. Instead of this, you will find that you can only redeem prizes once you have played through your bonus Sweeps Coins and won enough Sweeps Coins to meet the minimum prize redemption limit. From here, you will then be expected to pass some basic KYC checks in order to verify your identity and submit your request.
All sweepstakes casinos will have to let you play their casino-style games with no purchase necessary. This is great news for anyone looking to play at New York sweepstakes casinos without spending their own cash. To meet these legal requirements, you’ll find that most top NY sweepstakes casinos allow you to pick up free-to-release promotions throughout your stay.
While you can play sweepstakes games in New York without spending your own money, you will get the option to purchase Gold Coins packages at these gaming platforms. Just note that you cannot deposit money at sweeps casinos like you can at standard online casinos.
Still confused about the New York sweepstakes law and how they differ from real money igaming sites? Well, here are the basic things that each of these sweeps casinos has to do to legally operate in the Empire State:
The New York sweepstakes law dictates that each of these gaming platforms has to let you enter their sweepstakes games with no purchase necessary. In order to comply, you can expect to pick up GC and SC at just about every turn. Just don’t think that this is NY being strangely generous, as the same applies to Texas sweepstakes casinos as well as all other sweepstakes casinos across the US.
While you can redeem Sweeps Coins won through gameplay for prizes at sweeps casinos in New York, you will only be able to redeem up to $5,000 in prizes at any one time. Please note that you will also have to pass the relevant KYC checks before getting started and ensure that any winnings over $600 are added to your IRS report.
You’ll normally have to be at least 18 years old to play at these sweeps casinos, and you’ll usually be expected to confirm this before you can purchase Gold Coins or redeem Sweeps Coins won through gameplay for prizes. Such verification can usually be done with a selfie alongside some official ID like a passport or a driver’s license.
As established, you won’t play with real money at an NY sweepstakes casino. So, in this section, it makes sense to provide you with a quick look at how virtual tokens, bonuses, and prize redemptions work.
We already know that Gold Coins allow you to play for fun. However, did you know that these coins can be unlocked as part of a free-to-release bonus, won during gameplay, and even purchased as part of a Gold Coin package? Gold Coins also hold no real-world value, meaning they cannot later be redeemed for prizes or withdrawn for real cash. You can, however, look to use them as a way to get familiar with casino-style games and test our new strategies.
Sweeps Coins are the alternative virtual token utilized by most sweepstakes casinos in New York. Again, these coins don’t directly hold any real-money value, but you can look to later redeem Sweeps Coins won through gameplay for prizes. You can add more Sweeps Coins to your balance by unlocking free-to-release offers and by winning Sweeps Coins in promotional play. You can’t ever buy them directly, but some sweepstakes casinos in New York will allow you to unlock complimentary SC when making a GC purchase.
Evidently, bonuses and promotions are going to play a huge role in your experience. So, let us quickly highlight a few of the main offers that you are likely to come across. Remember, it is a legal requirement of all credible NY sweepstakes casinos to ensure that you continue playing for free; however, that doesn’t mean that you will find all of these promos available to you.
Those of you playing for fun will not need to worry yourselves too much with this one. However, those playing with Sweeps Coins will need to understand the ins and outs of how prize redemptions work at a New York sweepstakes casino.
As we’ve established, it is only the Sweeps Coins won through gameplay that have the potential to be redeemed for prizes. You will find that these eligible SC must be played through a set number of times, and you must also meet a minimum prize redemption limit.
Once met, you can then click the ‘redeem’ tab before being presented with a form that requires you to confirm your identity. You will be expected to pass the verification checks before any prize redemptions can ever take place. In some instances, this may be required before you ever make a purchase. To pass these tests, you are likely to need to provide copies of your photo ID and a utility bill, confirm your residential address, and offer a quick selfie.
After passing these checks, you can then choose how you wish to redeem your prizes. Most sites will now offer you the chance to pick between gift vouchers and cash prizes. However, in some instances, we have found sites that allow for merchandise, hotel stays, and other real-world prizes to be redeemed. The final stage requires you to input the amount you wish to redeem before submitting your request. Of course, any prize redemptions over $600 will be taxable. Plus, you cannot exchange eligible Sweeps Coins of more than $5,000 in New York.
Now that we’ve outlined the fundamentals of the New York sweepstakes law, you’re probably keen to see which sites you could be playing at. Here are some of the best New York sweepstakes casinos to get you started.
| Operator | Bonus Offer | Number of Games | Types of Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweeptastic | 70,000 Lucky Coins + 44 Sweeps Coins | 400+ | Slots |
| McLuck | 7,500 Gold Coins + 2.5 Sweepstakes Coins | 700+ | Slots, Live Dealer, Slingo |
| Wow Vegas | 1.75M WOW Coins + 35 Free Sweepstakes Coins | 900+ | Slots |
| Sportzino | 1,570,000 Gold Coins + 45 Sweepstakes Coins | 589 | Slots, Social Betting |
| Vegas Gems | 1000 Gems + 50% Extra gems on your first Shards purchase | 400+ | Slots |
| Hello Millions | 15,000 Gold Coins + 2.5 Sweepstakes Coins | 700+ | Slots, Slingo |
| Zula Casino | 100,000 Gold Coins + 10 Free Sweepstakes Coins | 700+ | Slots |
| Fortune Coins | 650,000 Gold Coins + 1,400 Fortune Coins | 550+ | Slots |
| High 5 Casino | 5 Sweeps Coins + 250 Game Coins + 600 Diamonds | 1,200+ | Slots, Live Dealer, Slingo |
While each sweeps casino will have to follow the relevant sweepstakes gaming laws, they will still work in different ways regarding game selection, bonus offers, and so on. Let’s have a closer look at the top New York social casinos in April.
Sweeptastic is a top sweeps casino that has already proven itself as a top choice for many in NY. The site features a solid selection of over 1,000 casino-style games that come from major gaming studios like Betsoft and GameArt. What’s best is the sheer variety of these games, though. The lobby includes Vegas-style slots, card games, dice games, and lots of instant-win games like Space XY and Plinko. Sweeptastic has a great welcome offer to help get you started, that’ll give you 70,000 Lucky Coins and 44 Sweeps Coins. These can be used to play for fun or enter promotional play, respectively.
Wow Vegas has become a big hit due to the fact that it contains over 1,200 casino-style slot games. You can sign up here and get a welcome offer that gives you 1.75 million Wow Coins to play for fun, and 35 Sweepstakes Coins will give you a nice start on your journey into the world of promotional gaming. There is also an impressive range of promos for existing customers, including daily login bonuses, social media giveaways, referral bonuses, and so on. However, a real standout is the VIP transfer service. At Wow Vegas, you can look to join at the same VIP level you have achieved elsewhere. In turn, you don’t have to start from the beginning to receive top perks.
McLuck is one of the most exciting sweeps casinos to hit the scene for quite some time, and you can sign up here from New York to get 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweepstakes Coins. The game selection is of high quality, with well over 1,200 Vegas-style slot games and a stunning live social casino. A real highlight is the McJackpots. Here, you can win one of four Gold Coin or Sweeps Coin jackpots with every spin you place. Of course, a stream of ongoing promotions is also available to those of you who are looking to return. This includes a daily login, social media giveaways, and personalized promos sent directly to your inbox.
Next up, we have High 5 Casino. Here, you will get to play over 1,900 Vegas-style slot games, and there is a fantastic welcome offer that gives you 5 Sweeps Coins, 250 Gold Coins, and 600 Diamonds. What are Diamonds? Well, they activate the Boost on Demand feature, which is even more fun than it sounds. It’s also important to note that High 5 Casino has one of the best sweepstakes casino apps in the business, allowing you to benefit from its various perks online or on the go.
Vegas Gems is a crypto-focused sweeps casino that features over 500 slot games from top developers like Pragmatic Play and Softswiss. However, it is those original games that give you the biggest reason to come here, as Crash, Wheel, and CoinFlip are great fun. You can sign up within minutes and get a first purchase bonus of 1,000 Gems and 50% extra Gems on your first Shards purchase. From complete clarity, Gems are the site’s unique name for Sweeps Coins and Shards allow you to enjoy the experience with fun as the sole purpose.
It’s one thing having an understanding of the New York sweepstakes law, but it’s something else to start playing at these gaming platforms. Here is a quick rundown of what you need to do to get started with New York sweepstakes casinos:
You should find that each of the casino-style games is fully playable from your web browser with no downloads required. This is good news for anyone who hates waiting to enjoy high-quality casino-style gaming.
That should have covered just about all you need to know about New York sweepstakes law. To quickly recap, the sweepstakes laws in New York allow you to enjoy the complete social casino experience online or on the go. Plus, for those of you playing with Sweeps Coins, the option of redeeming real prizes is a genuine possibility. You’ll just need to bear in mind that only SC won through gameplay will be eligible, and you will be limited to a maximum prize redemption of $5,000 here in New York.
Now, there should be little stopping you from enjoying all that these social gaming sites have to offer. We are huge fans of Sweeptastic, McLuck, Wow Vegas, High 5 Casino, and Vegas Gems; however, you can soon make use of the banners on this page to find your favorite in April. Just remember that you will need to be over the age of 18, physically located in NY, and able to pass relevant KYC checks. Enjoy and stay safe.
Yes, sweepstakes casinos are legal all over the state of New York. Just note that you will usually have to be at least 18 years old to play on these gaming platforms.
You will usually have to go to the sweepstakes casino’s website and fill in the registration form with your personal information. This requires you to enter your name, email, date of birth, and where you are playing from.
It doesn’t matter whether you are playing at New York sweepstakes casinos or Pennsylvania sweepstakes casinos, as all of these gaming platforms will have to let you enter their sweepstakes casino-style games with no purchase necessary. Plus, there will always be a minimum age requirement.
It depends on what you’re looking for, but we’d recommend starting off with some of our favorite New York sweepstakes casinos like Wow Vegas and McLuck.
Sweepstakes casinos let you redeem real-world prizes, while social casinos are strictly about playing for fun. Apart from that, they are pretty similar as they both let you play casino-style games online for free.
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.
