The team at Sweepstake-Casinos aims to provide you with, genuine, honest, in-depth reviews of all the available sweepstakes casinos on offer in the US. Along with in-depth reviews, we offer direct comparisons of sweeps casino putting them head to head to compare features, from games and slots on offer to bonuses and promotions, and banking options.
We strive to provide you with the following-
- ✅Detailed and critical reviews of all Sweepstakes Casinos that are available in the US
- ✅Source the best Welcome Bonus offers and promo codes and verify they are valid
- ✅Explain and inform you as a player of all the key terms and features surrounding Sweeps Casinos
Top Rated Sweepstakes Casinos
If you already know exactly how sweepstakes casinos work and are just looking for our best-rated sweeps casinos then the five sweepstakes casinos listed below will serve you as a fantastic starting point. The good news for US players is that there is a growing list of fantastic sweeps casinos with over 10+ trustworthy casinos to play at.
Are Sweepstakes Casinos Legal in the US?
The good news for US residents who like to play online casino games is that sweepstakes casino platforms are entirely legal across America. It is crucial to consider the individual state regulations concerning online gambling, but most sweepstakes websites are available to players in almost all states.
The reason why? Online sweepstakes casinos operate using virtual currencies and don’t require real money purchases to enjoy. The most common currencies you will encounter are Gold Coins (GC) and Sweepstakes Coins (SC), with the latter currency offered as a bonus or via gold coin purchases and being redeemable for real money prizes. Often, sweepstake casinos brand their virtual currencies differently, but their purpose remains the same.
Essential aspects to remember in relation to the sweepstakes gambling sites’ legal status include:
- ✅Sweepstakes gambling is not legal in Washington D.C. unless the site operates under a social gaming model or alternative mode of entry like a charity.
- ✅Sweepstakes casinos only support gold coin play (free play) in Idaho.
- ✅Sweepstakes prizes from a single playing session in Florida and New York are limited to $5,000.
- ✅Sweepstake casinos typically accept players over 18 years old, although this can vary by state.
- ✅Legal sweepstake casinos do not require a purchase to play the supported games. Players can purchase gold coins in money packages, but this is not a requirement.
- ✅Gold coins or sweeps coins must be provided via sign-up bonuses or ongoing promotions for a sweepstake casino to be legal.
- ✅Name, address, and banking verification are required to redeem real cash prizes at legit sweepstake casinos.
As long as the above requirements are met, a sweepstake casino can legally operate in almost every US state. Differences apply, such as the rate at which you can redeem sweeps coins or the mode of entry. But most notably, it is important to differentiate between sweepstakes casinos and social gaming platforms. The latter do not pay out real money and work with a single currency. A middle ground is provided with prize online casinos, where you can redeem your coins for gift cards, merchandise, or other prizes.
The sweepstakes and gaming models described above allow even players in US states where traditional online casinos are not legal yet to play at sweeps cash casinos. Instead of looking for illegal online casinos or land-based internet sweepstakes venues, go to sweepstakes casinos instead. Most of the gaming platforms you will encounter on our site fall in one of the above categories, although we primarily recommend online sweepstakes casinos that pay real money.
Sweeps Vs. Real Money Casinos
Although the core gameplay at sweepstake casinos and regular online casinos is very similar, these casino platforms have several key differences.
Legit sweepstakes cannot offer the same online gambling experience as you would find in regular online casino gaming. Sweeps casino platforms must use a virtual currency system instead of the direct real money betting used at traditional casinos to stay legal across as many states as possible.
As a result, when you play casino games at sweepstake casinos, you bet using tokens. These are usually called Sweeps Coins (SC) and Gold Coins (GC). Both serve the same purpose when it comes to playing your favorite titles, but they are inherently different:
- ✅Sweeps coins cannot be purchased but are redeemed for real money. You can win them by buying gold coins or opting in for special bonuses.
- ✅Gold coins are purchasable but not redeemable. Aside from buying them in money packages, you also get them for free via promotions.
- ✅The fact that you buy coin packages instead of depositing real money and redeem coins for cash instead of directly withdrawing them leads to the terms purchases and redemptions being used instead of deposits and withdrawals.
Let’s sum up the main differences resulting from the sweepstake gaming model in comparison to real money online casinos:
- ✅Players can register and play at sweepstakes casino sites without depositing any real money. You don’t make a classic deposit at sweepstakes websites. Instead, you buy a virtual currency, gold coins, and receive a designated number of “Gold Coins” and ‘’Free Sweeps Coins.’’
- ✅You will generally have to redeem sweeps coins to win cash prizes at social casino sites. Players will not win cash directly from things like slot games.
- ✅Sweepstakes platforms offer myriad ways to receive free sweeps coins, often simply in exchange for signing into your account. This is contrary to regular online casinos, where you rarely receive free bet credits after using the initial deposit bonus.
- ✅As the name suggests, sweepstakes sites pride themselves on a buoyant community feel. Unlike traditional casino gaming, it is easy to play with friends at sweepstakes websites and even send each other “Gold Coins” or other incentives. Competitions with skill and strategy games are also prominent on selected sites, such as Skillz.com.
- ✅Sweepstakes casino games can be sourced by independent gaming studios, like on real money gambling sites, but they are often proprietary built. That’s a way any new platform can stand out. This is only possible due to the lack of licensing and 3rd party software testing requirements in this niche.
How Sweepstakes Casinos Work
As a relatively new gambling option in the US, you might require more clarification regarding how sweepstakes casinos work. Although the general mechanic isn’t complicated in most instances, there are some obvious misunderstandings and misconceptions regarding exactly what is being offered.
To clarify, you could genuinely play online sweepstake casino games without ever spending a cent. For a sweepstake casino to be legal, it must offer free play and various methods for players to obtain free sweeps coins. When you bet/spin the reels you will always do this with a virtual currency, either sweeps coins or gold coins.
This makes sweepstakes casinos straightforward to register for and cheap to play. You can find a quick step-by-step breakdown of how to do this below:
- ✅Use our site to find the best sweepstakes websites in the US.
- ✅Head to your chosen online sweepstakes casino and press the “Register” or “Sign Up” options to create an account.
- ✅Most sweepstakes casinos will only need your email address, date of birth, and full name to register. However, you will often need to provide added information, such as your Social Security Number, to eventually redeem cash prizes.
- ✅You will get a decent quantity of free sweeps coins in exchange for registering at most sweepstakes casinos. For example, the Fortune Coins Exclusive welcome bonus offers new players 1200 free SC coins upon registration.
How We Review Sweeps Casinos
The task of reviewing sweepstakes casinos isn’t taken lightly. There are so many options nowadays, just like in the real money online casino sphere. Consequently, it is crucial to discover and play at the best sweepstake casinos and avoid the dangers of the less reputable brands.
Our team spends a painstaking amount of time researching these platforms to explore everything they have to offer. We cover bonuses, promotions, game catalogs, mobile apps, and more. Our casino review process is structured and meticulous ensuring that we always research and inform you about-
- ✅Casino Game Ranges, Performance, and Software
- ✅Company Reputation and Legitimacy
- ✅Purchases and Redemptions process
- ✅Customer Support and Website Performance
- ✅Promotions and Bonuses
Our mission is for you to have the best time possible playing at legit online sweepstakes casinos, where you can be confident your real money redeems will be paid out!
New Sweepstakes Casinos
More and more US online casino enthusiasts are turning to the sweeps/social casinos, especially since these sites are available in far more states than standard online casinos.
Sweepstake casinos also attract players because they bring unavailable casino game developers legally into the USA. For instance, Pragmatic Play, Hacksaw Gaming, Relax Gaming, and NetGame are not yet licensed for operations in the states that allow real-money gambling. You can still play them legally through sweep sites such as High 5 Casino, Pulsz, WOW Vegas, and Stake.us for cash prizes.
Subsequently, there are several new sweeps casino websites for you to check out. The quality of these platforms is continually improving as competition between sweeps casinos rises.
Our site covers all new sweepstake casinos that meet our strict review criteria. We recommend joining each to redeem their no-deposit bonuses, sign-up offers, and daily login rewards and to test out the site for yourself. There is no better sweepstake casino strategy than redeeming multiple free offers on multiple platforms, and new sweep cash casinos mean even more free sweepstakes money for you.
Free Sweeps Coins and Bonus Codes
One of the main things players love about sweepstakes websites is the sheer quantity of free sweeps coins promotions. We are all used to welcome bonuses at real money online casinos. Sweeps casinos take this to the next level with a huge range of VIP promotions, daily login rewards, and social media competitions.
As a result, gaining free sweeps coins is as easy as logging into your account every day or competing in simple games on social media. Every cash sweepstakes site will have its own array of free sweeps coins promotions. They all have in common: the initial no deposit welcome bonus for new players. We’ve compiled a selection of the best below:
| 🎰Sweepstakes Online Casino | 🎁No Deposit Welcome Bonus |
|---|---|
| McLuck Casino | 7,5000 Gold Coins + 2.5 Sweeps Coins |
| WOW Vegas Casino | 5,000 Gold Coins + 1 Sweeps Coin |
| High 5 Casino | 10,000,000 Free Credits (requires $9.99 deposit) |
| Pulsz Casino | 5,000 Gold Coins + 2.3 Sweeps Coins |
| Fortune Coins | 140,000 Gold Coins + 800 Fortune Coins |
| Stake.us | 5,000 Gold Coins + 1 Stake Cash |
| Sweeptastic Casino | 17,777 Lucky Coins and 2 Sweep Coins |
| Funrize Casino | 125,000 Free Tournament Coins |
| LuckyLand Slots | 7,777 Gold Coins + 10 Free Sweeps Coins |
| Chumba Casino | 2,000,000 Gold Coins + 2 Sweeps Coins |
| SweepSlots Casino | 10,000 Gold Coins + 1,000 Sweeps Coins |
Unless we state otherwise, using our links to create an account is enough to qualify for the free no-deposit offers and the first purchase offers.
How to Win Free Sweep Coins
Aside from taking advantage of the various promotions offered, players can also win sweepstakes virtual coins whilst playing the casino games. Sweeps casinos aren’t that different from real money online casinos in this regard.
Unlike regular online casino gambling, you can feasibly still increase your bankroll while losing at the actual casino games. There are more ways to boost your bankroll than just successfully playing sweepstakes online slots, make use of the ongoing promotions where you can, and combine our tips and strategies together to maximize the influx of free sweeps coins:
- ✅Play high RTP online slots.
- ✅Always take advantage of welcome bonuses.
- ✅Use a strategy, especially in table games like blackjack, strategy games, or skill games.
- ✅Check for daily login promotions. This is the easiest way to increase your virtual bankroll.
- ✅Participate in social media offers, as this is a key part of the sweepstakes casino experience.
- ✅Use the VIP schemes and rewards when offered. Once you ascend the ranks, these can be incredibly lucrative.
- ✅Test new games using gold coins before playing with sweeps coins to asses the slot’s potential.
- ✅Sign up to multiple sweepstake casinos to accumulate frequent daily bonuses and registration bonuses.
- ✅Use cheats and tricks when applicable, like these fish game strategies! Our sweepstakes guides provide unique insights into specific platforms, too – Funzpoints cheats, LuckyLand Slots hacks, Chumba free credit hacks, Orion Stars secrets! You won’t be breaking the law with these, just using expert insights to your advantage.
How to Play Sweepstakes Games
Playing sweepstakes slots and games is very similar to regular online casino gambling. The main benefit is the huge number of ways to obtain free money play, but the basic mechanics behind things such as bonus wagering remain the same.
Once you understand the virtual currency systems in place, playing sweepstakes casino games is straightforward. Moreover, there are regular opportunities to increase your bankroll for free, unlike in ordinary online casinos.
Registration process
A common complaint regarding real money online casinos is how hard and intrusive it is to create a casino account. That’s not a problem with online sweepstake casinos. These sites have far fewer legal obligations to perform, which greatly streamlines the overall registration process.
Let’s take the Fortune Coins Casino registration process as an example of what you can expect:
- Navigate to the Fortune Coins site and press “Register.”
- Fill in the registration form with your name, email address, home address, and cell phone number.
- Verify your email address before creating a username and password.
- Fortune Coins has two playable modes: Gold Coins and Fortune Coins. The sign-up bonus provides 1200 FC and 360,000 GC, so you can fully test the casino with both modes.
- Any redeemable Sweeps coins played on games can then be cashed out through the profile section. Before you can do this, you must complete the standard KYC procedure, verifying your legal name, banking method, and home address.
Players may also register at an online sweepstake casino using their Facebook, Google, or Apple accounts. Doing so further streamlines the registration process and often results in added benefits. For example, Fortune Coins encourages Facebook registration by offering 100 extra fortune coins.
Purchases and Redemptions
Deposits and redemptions are not essential to the social casino experience, unlike playing at normal real-money online casinos. However, despite the no purchase necessary policy, most players will eventually buy gold coins to play their favorite games for longer.
Regarding real money deposits, remember that you will technically be purchasing the Gold Coin virtual currency rather than making a direct deposit as you would at an online casino. You will often purchase a gold coin package. These differ from site to site. Here is a breakdown in the case of Fortune Coins:
- 💵$20 Initial Purchase: $40 worth of fortune coins and 20,000 gold coins.
- 💵$50 Initial Purchase: $70 worth of fortune coins and 1,000,000 gold coins.
- 💵$100 Initial Purchase: $200 worth of fortune coins and 1,000,000 gold coins.
Remember, real money purchases are not strictly necessary on sweeps casino sites due to the generous number of ongoing promotions. However, if you want to play to redeem real money for an extended period of time, you will most likely have to buy the virtual currency at some point. The money spent for gold coin purchases awards, in most cases, the equivalent value of free sweeps coins.
As for cash redemptions, the first thing to understand is that you will never directly win cash from the sweepstakes games. These platforms must offer virtual currency prizes that are then redeemable as cash to stay legal. It is an important terminology nuance, but it makes all the difference!
The process of redeeming your cash rewards varies from site to site, but it’s generally just as easy as making a purchase. In most cases, there will be a minimum redemption limit, usually in the order of $50 or so.
Common banking options include –
- 💳Visa
- 💳Mastercard
- 💳Skrill
- 💳ACH
- 💳PayPal
- 💳Bank Transfer
- 💳Trustly
- 💳Cryptocurrencies
These will vary depending on the sweepstake casino you play on, so always check the specific platforms and our reviews for information. Some sites won’t allow cash withdrawals but instead, provide you with gift cards and virtual credit for retailers and stores. To be safe, it is always worth fully checking the sweepstakes rules and conditions.
Free to Play Sweeps Slots and Games
Sweepstake casino sites are a great place to play a glittering expanse of slot machines, Fish table games, regular table games, and much more.
You will encounter these categories on most sweepstake gambling sites and social casinos, with some titles powered by top iGaming developers and others produced in-house.
- Online Slots – Online slots are the most popular games at sweepstakes casinos and for a good reason. The games are visually appealing with exciting bonus rounds, the winning potential from the more volatile games on modern-day slots is simply unbeatable, popular with players, and as such a staple addition to any good sweepstakes casino.
- Fish Table Games – An unusual arcade-style shooter style of gambling game, with powerups, aiming, and a wealth of unique bonus features, Fish Table Games proves to be a very popular niche game that is extremely popular at sweepstakes casinos.
- Blackjack – Table games like blackjack are also common at most leading social casinos. Although some players might miss the thrill of having real money on the line, playing the sweeps version of blackjack is a fantastic way to keep your card-counting skills up to date. As sweepstakes casinos continue to develop there will be an increase in the Live Blackjack tables present at casinos like High 5 Casino.
- Roulette – Although roulette is one of the most exciting casino options in the world, there aren’t too many sweepstake casinos offering it. Nevertheless, you can still find it if you look hard enough. For example, MyChoice Casino has European Roulette and Roulette Advanced options. Stake.us exclusive games are the only way you can win real money playing the live dealer version, while WOW Vegas features a few video variants of the wheel game.
- Live Social Casino -Live casino is the newest success story in the real money online casino world, with players worldwide transfixed by the live-streamed dealer mechanic. While you won’t be able to find live casino games in the same vein as Evolution Gaming live dealer titles, you can compete against friends in real time at social casinos. For example, Fortune Coins offers a multiplayer Fish table game that is not only unique but extremely fun to play. BetRivers.net and Rush Casino4Fun feature Evolution live game shows and table games without cash prizes. Stake.us is the only sweepstake site with exclusive live dealer rooms streamed from Bombay!
- Skill-Based and Strategy Games – A good thing about sweepstakes sites is their ability to offer games slightly outside the normal online casino norm. Skill-based strategy games are an excellent example, adding a bit of a different flavor to conventional gambling. Publishers Clearing House Casino and Skillz Games are some of the best platforms for these. They stock a wide variety of exciting skill and strategy games, so check them out. For fish shooting games, you got two options – Funrize and Fortune Coins.
- Poker Games and Tournaments – Free video poker games are widely available at most sweepstakes casino sites, with the added benefit of unique poker variants. They do lack the social-friendly fun generally associated with poker, though. Global Poker is the only one running regular poker rooms and satellite tournaments where you can win bucketloads of gold coins and sweeps coins while competing with other users.
- Bingo – Bingo is perfectly suited to how social casinos work, so it’s no surprise that many of the best legit sweepstakes sites have it as an option. Bingoport, Pulsz Bingo, Golden Hearts Bingo, Blackout Bingo, Bingo Cash, and BetRivers.net run their proprietary social bingo games where substantial cash prizes are available during selected hours daily.
- Horse Racing – You might wonder how horse racing and sweepstakes casinos can combine, and the truth is these two aren’t often fused together. However, this is untrue in the innovative case of B Spot Casino. The social casino uses a pioneering mechanism blending horse racing with traditional sweepstakes slots. Read our B Spot Casino review to find out more!
- Scratchies – Free scratchies are the way to go if you are looking for an instant-win-style gaming experience. Free scratchies are available at several leading sweepstakes casinos based on popular titles like Scratch Da Vinci’s Diamonds. Check out Pulsz, SweepSlots, and Scratch Carnival for a mobile-optimized scratchies adventure.
❌Sweepstakes Casinos to Avoid
While most sweepstakes casinos are legit and provide a completely safe environment to play at, unfortunately, there is also a growing number of sweepstakes sites to avoid. Bad actors have taken notice of the popularity of promotional sweepstakes and developed proprietary software distributed on as many platforms that are willing to take it. Such sites are also often linked to internet café sweepstakes, which traditionally run rigged games.
When reviewing these casinos we still publish details of what they offer, but will clearly inform you of the reasons why you should never play at these particular casinos and the better alternatives on offer.
FAQs
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How do sweepstakes casinos work?
Sweepstakes casinos work similarly to regular real-money online casinos. However, the main difference is instead of making a cash deposit and betting with real money, you purchase or receive free virtual currency and bet with that instead.
In the same way, players cannot directly win real cash, instead receiving virtual currency prizes that are then redeemable as real money.
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Are sweeps cash casino sites legit and safe?
There are plenty of legit sweeps cash casino sites available nowadays, and our site has reviews of all the best ones to check out.
We highly recommend options like Fortune Coins, Pulsz Casino, WOW Vegas Casino, and BetRivers.Net Social Casino.
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In which US states are online sweepstakes websites legal?
The US sweepstakes laws allow for social casinos to operate in most states other than Washington. Some platforms will be legal in fewer states than others.
As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to find cash sweepstakes casinos in all states, including Arizona, California, Texas, and Florida, apart from Washington.
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What free casino games can I play on sweepstakes casinos?
Sweepstakes casinos have a range of exciting casino games available, much like their real-money online casino counterparts.
The most common option is online slots, although this scratches the surface of what is available and can include “crash” style games and the very popular fish table games.
A unique type of game available on sweepstakes is the skill and strategy games, often found in their dedicated apps.
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Can I win real cash prizes at sweepstakes casinos?
Most sweepstakes websites will facilitate real money prizes, but in a slightly different way to normal online casino platforms. The key difference is that players win virtual currency tokens on casino games that are subsequently redeemed as real money prizes or coupons for retail/online stores.
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What prizes can you redeem at sweepstakes?
This depends on the sweepstakes casino site you play on, but generally, a sweepstakes site will have two types of virtual currency. The more abundant Gold Coins will have no real-life cash value, whereas the others (Sweeps Coins) will be redeemable as cash prizes.
For example, at Fortune Coins, players cannot redeem Gold Coins for real money but their sweeps currency "Fortune Coins" are worth $1 per 100 and can be redeemed for real money prizes.
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How can I find help if a sweepstakes casino does not pay out?
Customer service will be your first point of call if you have not received an expected payout from a sweepstake casino. Generally, this is all you will need to do to rectify the problem.
However, at some less trustworthy sites, you may need to escalate things through a social media complaint or even legal avenues, the key point here is to ensure you only play at recommended sweeps casinos.
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Are there free live social casino games?
Plenty of social casino games like poker or bingo are live because you play them in real-time against other players. However, if you are looking for traditional live dealer casino games, you will have a harder time. BetRivers.net is where you can play free live dealer games, while Stake.us provides six live dealer variants where you can win cryptocurrencies.
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Which sweepstakes casinos can I play in Texas or California?
Sweepstakes casinos can typically be accessed from all US states other than Washington, although they only exist online. As such, physical sweepstakes casinos near Texas or California don’t exist. Just head to one of our recommended sweepstakes online instead!
