Sweepstakes games unlock the world of online casino games even if your state doesn’t allow online gambling.
At sweepstakes sites, you can play casino games without spending cash. This is what makes them entirely legal in the US, as they operate under sweepstake laws, separating them from your typical gambling activities.
If you are new to sweepstakes games and social casinos, I will show you what’s on offer. I will go extensively into sweep games, game types, where to find them in the U.S., how to register in U.S. social casinos, and much more.
Your Gaming Guide: Casino Game Types & Software
What Are Sweepstakes Games?
Sweepstakes games are casino games (or a variation of them) that let you play with virtual currencies for a chance to win real money. Instead of playing with real cash, you play with Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. The first have no monetary value, while the second can be redeemed for real money prizes.
If you’re completely new to the market, you should know that sweepstakes sites are legal in all US states except Michigan, Montana, and Washington. While residents of Idaho can play at sweeps casinos, real cash prizes are restricted. The reason that these sites are legal while online casinos aren’t is that they don’t require a purchase, meaning you can also play for free. In other words, purchasing doesn’t increase your chances of winning.
If we’re talking about software providers, most of the names are the same as with online casinos, but the options are more limiting. You’ll often find games by Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Betsoft, 3 Oaks Gaming, Playnova, Habanero, Booming Games, and others. You can find out more about them in our game software provider guide above.
13 Most Popular Sweepstake Casino Games Categories
Typically, sweepstakes casinos offer a decent collection of games. Like your regular online casino, the offerings differ depending on the casino you choose to play. In general, you’ll find standard options like online slots, progressive jackpots, table games, arcade games, instant wins, and sometimes even live dealer games.
I have compiled a list of the 13 most popular categories of sweepstakes casino games you can check out.
1. Sweep Slots
Sweep slots are like the free slots games in online casinos. They use a Random Number Generator (RNG) to make sure outcomes for each spin are random. Online sweepstakes slot machines have a variety of themes and bonus features. The number of paylines, reels, variances, and RTPs varies.
Here, you use gold coins instead of cash to spin the reels, and if you land a winning combination, you win prizes.
Some of my current favorite slots include:
- Wanted Dead or a Wild
- Big Bass Bonanza
- Money Train 3
- The Dog House
- Dead or Alive
2. Jackpots & Progressive Sweep Slots
Free progressive slots in this category are connected via a network across all sweeps casinos, and whenever a player wagers, a portion of the bet is set aside. This piles up until one lucky winner wins it before the counter resets.
If you decide to play a fixed jackpot slot, then you’ll probably see four jackpot rewards: Mini, Minor, Mega, and Major.
Some titles I recommend you try out include:
- Big Bass Bonanza
- The Dog House Megaways
- Wealth Inn
- 5 Lions Dance
- Buffalo Canyon Jackpot
3. Jackpot Sweep Slots
Blackjack is a very popular game in online casinos, but the trend hasn’t yet translated to social casinos. That is not to say that you can’t find this table game, but looking for a specific blackjack variant won’t be as easy.
Your goal will be to beat the dealer by getting as close to 21 as possible without going over or busting. You still have the typical options, including stand, hit, double down, push, and split, no matter which sweepstakes site you opt-in for.
Here are a few blackjack titles you can try out:
- Pontoon
- Progressive Blackjack
- Blackjack Surrender
- Classic Blackjack
- Premium Blackjack
4. Roulette
Online roulette is another game that you’d expect to find in online casinos. When it comes to sweepstakes, table games are not as popular, and this is true for roulette. Nevertheless, you’ll still be able to find common variants, such as French, European, and American Roulette.
The basic rule of roulette is similar across all variants except for the number of pockets. To play, wager on where the ball will land between the pockets numbered 0-36. If you are correct, you win! If you love free roulette games, I recommend checking out ZitoBox Casino.
Some of the common roulette options you will find include:
- American Roulette
- European Roulette
- French Roulette
5. Live Dealer Games
Live dealers are not as common in sweepstakes sites, and honestly, I get it. In online casinos, you cannot play these games without a real money deposit. So, it made sense that live casino games weren’t part of sweepstakes where you can play for free.
But times are changing, and I’m happy to tell you that you can now play live dealer table games and even a few game shows at sweepstakes sites, too!
If you’re looking forward to playing live dealers, I recommend you check out Stake.us or High 5 Casino and enjoy:
- Live Roulette
- Gravity Blackjack
- Teen Patti
- Live Sic Bo
- Casino Hold’em
6. Keno Games
Keno is a game of chance similar to the lottery. You will find more than enough in sweep casinos if you enjoy sweeps cash games like these. Most variants of this sweepstakes game follow the same basic rules: all you need to do is wager on numbers ranging from 1 to 80.
If the numbers you wagered on are present in any of the 20 numbers drawn by the RNG, you win. Sweeps casinos like Funzpoints Social Casino are your best option if you want to play free Keno games.
Top free keno games available in sweepstakes casinos include:
- Paintball Keno
- Four Seasons Keno
- Shamrock Keno
- Fireball Keno
- Ducky Powerball Keno
7. Skill Games
Most casino games are entirely dependent on luck, and regardless of your skill, it won’t affect the game’s outcome. However, skill games require some sweepstakes casino strategy to win.
Sweeps cash games in this category include Poker, Rummy, Chess, Puzzle Games, etc. You can find skill games like poker or fish table games on sweepstakes casinos like Global Poker, YayCasino.us, and Skillz Games.
Some of the top sweepstakes skill games include:
- Dominoes Gold
- Bubble Shooter Arena
- Pool PayDay
- No limit Texas Hold’em
- No limit Omaha
8. Fish Games
Fish games are specialty games offered at sweeps casinos. These games combine betting with the entertainment of shooter video games. They could come in the form of fish slots, fish tables, or fish arcade games.
Online fish games don’t have paylines or reels. Instead, you will be tasked with shooting a cannon at the marine life below. Each fish you shoot at has a health bar, which reduces if you land a hit. The size of the fish indicates the payout, and they can come in various forms, ranging from whales to monster crabs.
Some rare fish can show up at random while you play and tend to offer larger sweepstakes coins. In fish games, you automatically get prizes when you get a fish, and this is added to your sweepstakes balance. It can also be used as ammo for the remainder of the game.
Some of the popular fish games are:
- Emily’s Treasure
- KA Fish Hunter
- Thunder Fishing
- King Octopus
- Candy Heroes
9. Video Poker Games & Free Tournaments
Video poker is still one of the most popular social casino games in social casinos, and players will have tons of options to choose from. This game has numerous variants, but the most popular and simplest one is the five-card draw.
The gameplay is similar to that of typical free video poker games found in online casinos. You are first dealt five cards, and you can decide to discard all or any of these cards. If you discard anyone, it is replaced via a random draw. If your hand is the same as any of the eligible poker hands, you win! You will need to buy in on the table using your sweepstakes or gold coins to play this game in sweepstakes casinos.
Some of the most common poker titles include:
- Deuces Wild
- Tens of Better
- Aces and Faces
- Joker Poker
- Jacks or Better
10. Sweepstakes Bingo Games
I wouldn’t say that bingo games are extremely popular in real money online casinos, but the situation is different with sweepstakes. Bingo and lottery games were one of the primary explanations for how sweepstakes casinos came to be, so it makes sense that you can explore plenty of these games.
In fact, not only can you play bingo, but you’ll also find dedicated bingo sweepstakes – Pulsz Bingo is my favorite.
By signing up, you can enjoy:
- Big Apple
- Bingo Blast
- Route 66
- Empire State Bingo
- Golden Gate Bingo
11. Free Online Scratchies
Free online scratchies, also known as scratch cards, are available for play. They are one of the easiest social casino games in sweepstakes casinos. There are different variants of this game, but the basic rule remains the same if you are playing online. Simply click (scratch) the enclosed box to display the prize underneath. Your earnings are then instantly credited into your account in sweepstake coins.
Some popular sweepstakes games under this category, available to play on Scratch Carnival Casino, include:
- Kitty Uproar
- Bubble Bounty
- Granny’s Cookies
- Doctor Voltage
- 4 “Quickies”
12. Horse Racing Bets
If you enjoy betting on horse races, many social casinos, such as Horseplay, offer an excellent platform for doing so. It’s a unique casino that allows you to bet on free horse racing games worldwide for a chance to win sweepstakes coins.
You can then use the coins earned to wager on even more of your favorite games in the social casino. Platforms like Horseplay mix their horse racing betting with online casino games, but others will also let you bet on virtual horse races.
13. Crash Games
Crash games are a novelty in the online casino world, and they are easier to play than ever. The point of these crash games is to be fast and to cash out before the multiplier drops. Right now, the only place where you can test your fast fingers is Stake.us Casino.
Ways to Play Free Social Casino Games
There are two ways in which you can play sweeps games: Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins mode. You can usually change between the two with a toggle switch.
When you play with Gold Coins, you can’t win real money prizes. Playing with Sweepstakes unlocks the option for redemption.
To get free Sweepscoins, you can:
- 🎁 Get the no deposit welcome bonus when you register
- 🎁 Make the most of the daily login bonuses granting GCs and free SCs
- 🎁 Purchase GC packages and get free Sweepstakes Coins for a few bucks
- 🎁 Participate in tournaments
- 🎁 Send handwritten mail to get SCs bonuses
How to Start Playing Games: Detailed Guide
- Step 1: Head to the sweepstakes casino website. Hit the “Join now” or “Register” button. If you are not in the US or other legal countries, some sweepstakes casinos won’t let you get past this point.
- Step 2: You will be redirected to a page where you must input your name, username, email address, and date of birth. A link will be sent to your registered email address, which you will click to verify.
- Step 3: After verifying your email, you may need to complete additional verification steps. You will be required to input your home address, location, phone number, etc. If all this information is correct, you can proceed. This is often not mandatory.
- Step 4: Most sweeps casinos will give you a welcome bonus offer consisting of Sweepstakes Coins and some Gold Coins to play sweepstakes games. If you want more, you will need to make a real-money purchase. To do this, head to the banking option and choose your preferred option. Input your preferred deposit amount and purchase your Gold Coins/Sweepstakes Coins.
- Step 5: Then, select your favorite online sweepstakes games and begin playing. If you are lucky enough to win, you can either redeem your coins for cash or get gift cards.
