Sweepstakes casinos have boomed in popularity in the U.S. in the last few years. Sweepstakes casino sites (aka sweeps casinos) offer casino-style favorites like slots, table games, live casino games, and more.
While sweepstakes casinos offer an experience that’s similar to real-money casinos, it’s important to note that you don’t directly wager or win real money at a sweepstakes casino. These casino sites essentially operate as sweepstakes contests, with “Sweeps Coins” on the line instead of cash.
Sweepstakes gaming falls under a different category than real-money gambling from a legal perspective. While real-money online casinos are only legal in seven states, sweeps casinos are legal in more than 40 states.
How do sweepstakes casinos work?
Sweeps casinos utilize a dual-currency system that involves “Gold Coins” and “Sweeps Coins.” The names of these virtual currencies might vary from casino to casino, but the system works pretty much the same no matter which sweeps casino site you visit.
You’ll find two kinds of games at a sweepstakes casino – Gold Coins (GC) games and Sweeps Coins (SC) games.
GC games play with Gold Coins at stake. Gold Coins are strictly play money credits, with no cash redemption value.
SC games play with Sweeps Coins at stake. Sweeps Coins are virtual sweepstakes credits that you can redeem for cash prizes, usually at a rate of 1 SC to 1 USD.
You can’t directly purchase Sweeps Coins at a sweepstakes casino. You can collect SC as a bonus when you purchase a Gold Coins package, however. Social casinos operate with a similar structure.
For a sweeps casino to satisfy the conditions of operating as a sweepstakes gaming site, the casino must offer alternative means of entry (AMOE), which allow players to collect free Sweeps Coins with no purchase necessary.
Some of the AMOE you might see available at a sweeps casino include:
- Mail-in offers
- Social media giveaways
- Daily login bonuses
- Purchase bonuses
Where can I play at sweepstakes casinos in the U.S.?
Sweepstakes casinos are available in more than 40 U.S. states. The only states that explicitly restrict sweeps casinos are:
- Idaho
- Michigan
- Washington
- Mississippi
More than 60 legitimate sweepstakes casinos operate in the U.S. The available states for a particular sweeps casino site can vary, however.
What games can I play at sweepstakes casinos?
The games available at sweepstakes casinos can include:
- Online slots
- Table games
- Live casino games
- Arcade-style games