Sweepstakes Casinos
Sweepstakes casinos are online gaming platforms that let users play casino-style games using virtual currencies with a chance to win prizes including cash. They don’t operate under the same laws that real money online casinos do so they are available to most people, even in the US where more traditional online gambling might not be regulated or even banned.
The main idea behind a sweepstakes casino is that players can win prizes (like cash) without actually, or more to the point “technically” wagering real money directly. That difference makes them legal in many parts of the U.S. where other forms of gambling entertainment might not be available.
To play at a sweepstakes casino you need to have coins of the realm. There are usually two different types of coins. These are Gold Coins (but they can be called something else) and these coins are used for playing games like slots, blackjack, poker, and even scratchcards. The coins you win while playing cannot be cashed in or redeemed for anything of value. The other type of coins are usually referred to as Sweepstakes Coins (or Sweeps Coins). These coins can be redeemed for prizes or even cash.
You can’t just go to the online cashier and purchase Sweeps Coins, but you can get some as a bonus when you buy Gold Coins. Some operators also have other free methods for you such as a mail-in request for Sweeps Coins - each operator has their policies.
Laws and Regulations of Sweepstakes Casinos
Sweepstakes casinos are regulated under sweepstakes laws instead of gambling laws. Gambling law usually requires you to risk something of value in a game of chance or skill and chance in order to receive something of value when you win the contest. Since nothing of value is put at risk, gambling laws do not apply to this form of entertainment.
Sweepstakes casinos allow users to “gamble” without paying to win prizes, and that makes the model legal in most, but not all states. Some states, like Washington, may restrict access due to stricter interpretations of gambling laws because similar models have already gone through the court process so case law has been established, and in some cases, state laws have been changed to make sweepstakes casinos illegal. In recent years, the rise of sweepstakes casinos has been viewed by some as controversial, with some industry figures and key players voicing concerns about potential risks of unregulated services.
It’s important to follow all of the sweepstakes rules to stay on the right side of the law. It’s not like you would be in trouble for doing something wrong like skipping a simple step in the process, but if you don’t help keep the model in the legal white zone, so to speak, the operator will be forced to not pay your winnings if you do break the rules. The most important rule to follow is the minimum age requirement. It’s 18+ in most states but some states set the lower threshold at 19 years or even 21 years old. Almost everything else is taken care of for you in the way the software works, but there will always be clever people who think they can finesse the system or bend the rules in their favor. Those people rarely if ever succeed and cheating is cheating, they might get in trouble with the operator or even with the law if they are trying to run some sort of elaborate scheme to defraud the casino. Play fair and follow the simple rules and you will have no problems enjoying this often-overlooked form of entertainment that can also be profitable.
How to Get Sweepstakes Coins
Recall, Sweepstakes Coins are a virtual currency that can be redeemed for cash or prizes. Each operator will have their own system for getting the virtual coins into your hands but here are a few of the ways we have found to get Sweeps Coins.
- You can purchase Gold Coins, the virtual betting currency you need to play slots and other games. The casino will usually throw in some Sweeps Coinsas a bonus. The more you buy, the greater the relative value might be. For instance, a $30 purchase might get you 300,000 Gold Coins to play with and 30 sweep coins to collect for redemption, or to play with separately. But if you deposit $50 you might get half a million Gold Coins and 55 Sweeps Coins.
- Promotions and Giveaways: Platforms award coins for a variety of activities like signing up to play, referring friends, or other incentive fulfillment.
- Mail-In Requests: Some platforms, and it can depend on the laws in your state or where the Sweepstakes are operated, will let customers request free Sweep coinsvia a request through the mail.
Payment Methods at Sweepstakes Casinos
It’s easy, safe, and secure to buy gold coins from a Sweepstakes Casino. Some of the most popular ways to get coins to play with include:
Credit/Debit Cards
Bank Transfers
Cryptocurrency at a few places
When it comes time to collect your prizes, if you choose the cash option you will need a way to withdraw the funds. The three most common methods to get paid are:
E-wallets
Games at Sweepstakes Casinos
Sweepstakes casinos feature most of the same games you’ll find at traditional online casinos, and some operators have the same games and titles you might find in a local or nearby land casino. The most popular games at Sweeps Casinos are slots. There are plenty of choices and because slot games can be highly volatile, it’s possible to win big jackpots on a small bet. You should also find table games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat to name a few. Video poker is a popular choice, especially with people who like to play a perfect strategy but don’t enjoy blackjack as much as poker. You will also find scratch cards, keno, bingo, and other specialties in the games lobby of many sweeps casinos.
While Sweepstakes Casinos are not the same as social casinos where it’s all “pay to play” with no real hope of ever winning any money, they do have a few things in common and we’ll look at that closer as we go along. But games of both types can combine social elements like leaderboards or community events to help players stay engaged and entertained.
Sweepstakes Casinos
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Bonuses and Promotions at Sweepstakes Casinos
Online casinos for real money gambling almost all have bonuses available for players. These can be used to lengthen playtime but they can also be profitable if you know which bonuses to choose and how to maximize your chances of winning. Sweeps casinos offer bonuses too!
The first bonus you are likely to run across is the Sign-up Bonus. You can often get free Gold coins or even a few sweeps coins just for registering an account. Once you are in and playing, you might be able to take advantage of Daily rewards. These are given out simply for logging in or for completing certain activities, tasks, or challenges.
Sweeps operators are always trying to get their name more well-known and expand their business so Social Media promotions can be offered and you might get extra coins from contests or giveaways they are running on social media. Last but not least are “refer-a-friend” programs where you can earn bonuses by inviting your friends to join and mentioning you or following a specific link when they sign up.
Why Play at a Sweepstakes Casino?
For some people, the most important thing to consider is that sweeps casinos are legal almost everywhere, even in some states where real money online gambling isn’t allowed. But not Washington or Idaho. Another thing many people consider is the cost. It’s free to participate in the games using Gold Coins that you earn simply by signing up or logging in every day. You can play casino games without risking any money.
When you win enough, Sweepstakes Coins can be redeemed for real money right in your bank account, back to an eWallet, or by requesting a prepaid debit card be mailed to you with your winnings already loaded on it. The cards are real debit cards and are accepted almost anywhere your bank card is accepted. Also, just like with social casinos where you can’t really win any money, Sweeps casinos are built with social features for those who want to use them. There might be chat rooms, leaderboards, and competitions like tournaments or special hunts and other events to keep participation fun and engaging.
Sweepstakes Casino vs Real Money vs Social Casino
When it comes to online casinos today, there are three main types: real money casinos, sweepstakes casinos, and social casinos. Each model delivers a different experience. Depending on your personal preferences and the laws in your state or country, you might prefer one type over the others, or you might want to play around a little with all of them that are available to you. We’ll explain some of the differences in detail so you know a little bit more about each kind of casino.
Real money casinos are the most traditional option, they’ve been around since the 1990s and there are thousands of them on the internet. Of course, not all of them are available to everyone everywhere, but there’s no place on earth where people can’t find one to play at if they are determined enough and understand the basics. In the real money model, players deposit funds, place bets, and can win cash prizes directly from the gambling action.
These are heavily regulated to varying degrees (not all online jurisdictions are equal) and they usually require players to be in an area where online gambling is legal. Players in the US have fewer player protections than players in Europe for example, but there are no federal laws against playing at online casinos to date, but state and local laws vary on the matter.
Those who prefer this sort of straight-up gambling, win or lose, know that the results of a game or an entire session are directly tied to their bankroll. Most players lose but a few make out very well on a lucky day. The winning side, the casino side of that equation is what built the grand meccas of gambling like Las Vegas and Macau.
Sweepstakes casinos, on the other hand, operate under a special legal model that in most cases has been around since before the advent of online casinos. These laws set them apart from real money casinos in a legal sense. Instead of wagering real cash, players use virtual currencies like gold coins to play the games. Sweepstakes coins can be given out as free bonuses when you buy gold coins, and you can play games with them to win even more sweeps coins. Only sweeps coins can be redeemed for actual cash or prizes, gold coins are just for play, they have no value and cannot be made more valuable by playing with them.
This method of transacting lets sweepstakes casinos operate in states where real money gambling might be restricted.
Social casinos round out the three and they offer a completely free-to-play experience. They focus on entertainment and social interaction instead of monetary rewards or other prizes. Social casinos usually feature leaderboards, friends challenges, and have in-game achievements. Some elements can overlap, especially as sweepstakes casinos increase social elements and gamification, but the important distinction to keep in mind is that you can win real cash at sweepstakes casinos but the currency of a social casino is made up of bragging rights and fun.
Are all Online Casinos “Pay to Play”?
The short answer is, yes, they can be! All online casinos - whether social, sweepstakes, or traditional real-money platforms - operate with a house edge. This edge or advantage represents a percentage of each dollar wagered and that is how casinos make money over the course of thousands or millions of games played. The house edge is mathematically built into every game. For some games like blackjack or video poker where players bring an optimal strategy to the table, volatility is minimal and bankrolls tend to go up or down relatively slowly and fairly steadily.
This means that over a set of bets - for instance, 10,000 games - your bankroll will, on average, decrease by a predictable percentage, winning streaks notwithstanding. However, slight volatility or variance in the random outcomes of each game allows for the possibility of short-term profits on a lucky streak and sometimes enough profit to cash out as a winner.
Other games, like most slot machines, are much more volatile. While it might take millions of spins for their outcomes to align statistically with the house edge or Return to Player (RTP is the inverse of house edge), the higher volatility means that while wins may be less frequent, the payouts on those wins can be significant.
Since all casino games have a house edge, playing any type of casino game is essentially a "pay-to-play" activity for most people. While this holds absolutely true when looking at a casino’s overall balance sheets over time, it is also true for the average individual player. But the devil is in the details! Volatility adds a dynamic element: among 100 players each starting with 100 coins, one could increase their bankroll through a large payout, while others could lose everything due to the game's volatility. The uneven distribution of outcomes is what high-volatility games are all about, even though the house edge guarantees that the casino will turn a profit over time. So for most people, most of the time, even real money casino gambling is a pay-to-play game or a form of entertainment that can be budgeted for with a predictable cost, just like buying movie tickets, but with the chance, however slim, of leaving with more money than you brought in.
Looking at the three types of casinos - social, sweepstakes, and real-money online casinos, sweepstakes casinos hit the sweet spot for some people because they offer a good mix of entertainment and the potential to win real money.
Conclusion
If you want to try something new or even take a break from real money casinos for a change, sweepstakes casinos can be a fun and legal way to play real online casino games with a chance to win real money or other prizes. Since they operate under different laws than real money online gaming sites, players in most states - even some that ban online casinos - can get in on the action with peace of mind.
The way gambling and other transactions are set up, with Gold Coins available for purchase and fun-play on the games and Sweepstakes Coins for cash redemption you can take part in all kinds of casino games without wagering money directly which could be a violation of the law in some places, like certain US states.
You’ll find most of the same types of games you would at a real money gambling site like blackjack, slots, and poker, and you’ll be able to take part in hunting bonuses and promotions which some real money players claim is a big part of the fun in gambling online, but you can also find social media promotions, contests, and other giveaways to keep the hunt fun and productive.
All in all it’s a way for players in most areas to have some legal fun with a chance at profit, without gambling in the traditional sense.