Can you win real money playing at sweepstakes casinos?
It may surprise you to learn that sweepstakes casinos are legal in most states in the USA. And not only are
online sweepstakes casinos with real money
commonplace and entirely legal, but the ability to win cash prizes is something you can expect from the top sweepstakes casinos.
How is it possible that an online casino with prizes can be legal in the majority of the United States?
It’s because they’re not providing real money bets.
However, there are sweepstakes prizes that can be won. In order to do so, you’ll need to understand how the currency system works. This includes what the various in-site currencies mean, what they represent, if they can be redeemed, and what for.
Only then can you ensure that you’re squeezing every ounce of value out of your favorite
sweep slots online. And more importantly, it’s the best way to ensure you’re having as much fun as possible.
How does the currency system work?
How could we provide a
guide to online sweepstakes
currency systems when there’s so much variety out there?
Well, while there is certainly a huge amount of creativity and many unique selling points of different sweepstakes casinos, the fundamental concepts behind how they work remain largely the same:
- Sweepstakes casinos are an online casino where you play for fun rather than cash.
- However, in order for the games to be played, in-site tokens must be used instead to provide some level of stakes to your games.
- These are typically known as something like sweeps coins (or gold coins) and sweeps cash. They may go by different names but they should work the same way.
- In terms of basics, the former is just for fun, and the latter are sweepstakes entries, meaning they can be redeemed for prizes.
Those are the fundamentals of how all the best social casinos work.
How does the coin system work?
So, you can’t bet with real money, and instead must use these in-site tokens. But how do they work?
Well, social casinos want your experience to be as authentic as possible, meaning they largely work the same in practice as real money operators. You spin the reels, for instance – the same way as you would with real cash. It’s just there’s no real money stakes involved.
Beyond that, there’s the further distinction of prize redemption. Sweeps coins (or whatever the equivalent name may be) cannot be redeemed for prizes. They are just there for fun. They’re something to bet with.
Sweeps cash, however, can be redeemed for prizes, including cash prizes.
The way in which redemption works does depend on the individual online sweepstakes casinos in question. Generally speaking though, you would expect to need to play your sweeps cash in order to redeem any prizes, and a minimum amount is typically required.
How to play without buying coins?
Firstly, while you cannot buy sweeps cash, you can buy gold coins. This does not give them any monetary value, and is just for additional fun and playtime with your favorite games. Sweeps cash may be provided as a bonus for purchasing gold coins as part of
sweepstakes deals, but this is not guaranteed. Sweeps cash cannot be purchased directly.
However, you don’t need to buy anything in order to use sweepstakes casinos online. This is a vital part of their legality in most of the United States. An operator must allow for play without any purchase to be considered among online sweepstakes casinos.
You must, therefore, have options to receive sweeps cash and gold coins for free, whether that’s through regular reloads or as prizes on social media competitions. In terms of how they’re played, it’s practically the same as you would expect from a real money casino, except you’re not playing with real currency.
How to get free sweeps coins?
Sweeps coins, or gold coins, can be provided in a variety of ways. You’ll typically receive them for registering with the site and often just for logging in. For instance, you might get more coins for logging in daily. They can also be provided via promotions and social media competitions.
Sweeps cash is often given in the same way, and we’ve also seen some provide additional sweepstakes entries through a postcard request. These giveaways are what people typically mean by
free sweeps cash.
These are just some typical examples. Who knows what the best sweepstakes casinos online could come up with in the future?
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A brief guide to all you need to know about sweepstakes casinos
If that seemed like a lot to take in, here’s a quick list of the key points for you to remember:
- Sweepstakes casinos are legal in most of the USA.
- They cannot be played with real money: in-site tokens must be used.
- These in-site tokens are usually called something like sweeps/gold coins and sweeps cash.
- Sweeps coins are just for fun. They may be purchased for entertainment purposes.
- Sweeps cash can be redeemed for sweepstakes prizes, including cash. They cannot be purchased.
- No purchase is necessary to play on sweepstakes casinos, or to collect either in-site currency.
- They may both be given away through a wide variety of means – often just for logging in. Check the individual site for specifics.
- You’ll typically have to play through your sweeps cash to redeem any prizes.
True classics: You can't fail with these 5 sweepstakes casinos
There’s no shortage of great sweepstakes casinos online. And not only is there a large selection of world-class social casinos, but the
best new sweepstakes casinos
are always nipping at those top spots. That means any that make it among our players’ favorites are something truly special. With that in mind, here are five that our sweepstakes community considers to be the best of the best in an extremely competitive market.
Stake Casino: Atop our leaderboard
Despite the immense competition,
Stake Casino
remains at the top of any good conversation about the best social casinos. When taking a closer look at our community's Stake reviews, ongoing promotions and user experience are key focus areas where Stake.us excels.
Stake casino offers cash giveaways, slot battles and competitions, to give just a few examples of what may be found on the bonus page. Put simply, you never know what a Stake Casino promo code will provide.
The site utilizes a grey, white and blue color palette that allows for important links to be located and text to be easily read. An onsite forum allows players to chat with like-minded players while making their way around the site, too. Players can register using Facebook, Google, Discord or an email and must be at least 21 years of age. Once registered, players can make use of a 5% Rakeback bonus exclusive to SweepstakesCasino.com. You’ll need to enter promotional code:
SWEEPCAS
at the signup stage.
Alongside the above, Stake casino makes use of games from the likes of Pragmatic Play, Hacksaw Gaming and some originals from Stake themselves. The latter of whom contributes with versions of crypto casino titles like Dice, Crash and Plinko.
Although there’s no live casino, our community has considered Stake.US as one of the top sweepstakes casinos available today.
Stake.us: Pros & Cons
- Regular promotions
- User-friendly
- Fantastic game selection
- Exclusive titles
- Currently no live casino
- Fees incurred
- Blockchain real-cash prizes only
up to 560K GC +
56 FREE SC
+ 5% Rakeback
Pulsz: Oldie but goldie
To be clear from the off,
Pulsz is legit. The site is licensed in accordance with the laws set out by the government of Gibraltar, owned by Yellow Social Interactive Ltd and offers players the chance to play no-purchase online casino games.
In fact, you’ll be able to play hundreds of Vegas-style casino games, including slots, jackpots, Megaways, hold and win and table games for free the moment you sign up. That’s because 5,000 Gold Coins are also available from registration. Pulsz makes use of white, green and pink across the platform, ensuring that all text, games and important site links are identifiable. Players can load up casino titles with one click and will be able to navigate around the site fluidly, too.
The best social casinos will provide bonuses and promotions for loyal customers. Returning Pulsz players can redeem a bonus for referring friends, entering jackpot races, following Pulsz on social media and they can unlock a daily streak reward that offers both Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins, too. You can keep an eye on your tally of coins in the top left-hand corner or in the top right. The top right-hand corner will also allow players to
switch
between playing for fun and sweeps.
Pulsz: Pros & Cons
- Licensed and regulated
- Wide variety of games
- User-friendly
- Ongoing promotions
- Comparably smaller welcome bonus
- No iOS app
- No live chat
up to 200K GC +
20 FREE SC
Fortune Coins: A solid place to play
Fortune Coins hosts a vibrant and colorful site that can be accessed online or through a mobile browser. Players can look to
register
by selecting the
Join Now
button, located within the welcome bonus promotional banner. A new user can look to link their Facebook account or enter their email address and will be required to create a memorable password.
Once verified, players will be forwarded to the casino site itself. Here, players will be presented with the chance to load up over 50 in-house casino titles and they will also see that the 140,000 Gold Coin and 500 Fortune Coin bonus has been added to their account. At the time of writing, there is no need to enter a
Fortune Coins promo code
and players will also be given the chance to unlock a daily bonus of 30,0000 GC and 100 FC, too.
Further free coins can be acquired by referring friends and through an assortment of other onsite promotions. Additional perks of Fortune Coins include fast checkouts and around-the-clock support, allowing any issues with your sweepstakes online gambling account to be resolved 24/7.
Fortune Coins: Pros & Cons
- Sizable welcome offer
- Large selection of promotions
- Fast checkouts
- 24/7 customer service
- Fewer games than some others
- No mobile app available
- No 24/7 live chat
up to 650K GC +
1400 FREE FC
Golden Heart Games: Play and do good
Golden Hearts Games was launched back in 2019 and, since then, our community has created various Golden Hearts Games reviews that have warranted its place amongst this list of the best sweepstakes casinos online.
When first visiting Golden Hearts Games, blues, whites and golds fill the screen. The text is easy-to-read and any important links can be accessed within two or three clicks. To register, players are required to hit the
Join Now
button and complete the onsite form or link their Facebook account. Once verified, players will be able to load up over 200 casino games, covering slots, Keno, video poker and Bingo. A new customer offer is also provided.
When it comes to welcome bonuses, Golden Hearts Games does things a little differently to the
average
sweepstakes social casino. There is currently no
Golden Hearts Games bonus code
to enter; however, a donation of $10 to a chosen charity must be made. Once $10 has been donated, players will have their donation doubled and will unlock a Gold Coin equivalent. At the time of writing, $10 is equivalent to 5250 coins.
The site states that the average daily payout is over $40,000 and all Bingo winners are guaranteed to walk away with a cash prize. Any cash prize won across the 200 casino games can be withdrawn for real cash. However, please bear in mind that any winnings under $50 will incur fees.
Golden Hearts Games: Pros & Cons
- Quick registration
- Over 200 casino games
- Supports charitable causes
- Daily payouts
- Withdrawal fees
- No mobile app
- No table games
up to 625K GC +
125 FREE SC
+ 1250 VIP Points
Gambino: An all time classic
Gambino is considered by our community as one of the best sweepstakes casinos online and it is also one of the only sweepstakes casinos that does not have its own dedicated desktop site. When visiting, players will find out more about what
Gambino Slots
has to offer; however, to register and play, users will need to download one of the
social gaming apps
or play through Facebook.
Once players have linked their Facebook account or opted to play as a
guest
through the app, they can retrieve 100,000 G-coins and further G-Coins for the next ten days. These coins can be used to play across Gambino casino titles. Currently, the bulk of the gaming portfolio is dedicated to slots and players can unlock more games as they work their way through the rewards program.
Alongside the new customer bonus, Gambino players will also find various alternative promotions presented to them. The G-Reel bonus offers G-Coins every hour, you can unlock additional coins for linking your Facebook, redeem purchase deals and plenty more
Gambino also focuses on the social side of social casinos. Not only can you connect to the casino through your social media but there’s also options to share your achievements and even share casino related goodies with friends.
Gambino: Pros & Cons
- Dedicated mobile experience
- Bonus available on registration
- Social media focus
- Ongoing promotions and perks
- Few table games
- No live chat
- Limited payment options
200 Free Spins + 500,000 Free G-Coins
On the rise: These 5 sweepstakes casinos are not to be missed
Looking for something fresh to spice up your gaming experience? We get it. While playing with the most renowned sweepstakes casinos makes sense, exploring some of the up-and-coming options is definitely worth your time. You’ll find more games, more coins, and ultimately, a refreshing change of scenery. If you want to see more than the top 5 below, head over to our collection of
new sweepstakes casinos.
MegaBonanza - Over 2,300 quality casino games
While this is still a relatively new sweeps casino, MegaBonanza has already assembled a formidable range of over 2,300 casino games. These come from acclaimed developers like RubyPlay and Slotmill, and they can all be played for free. The best thing is that if you play with the free Sweepstakes Coins, you may be able to redeem cash prizes and gift cards.
MegaBonanza has a competitive welcome offer to start you off as it’ll give you 50,000 Gold Coins and 25 Sweepstakes Coins. Although there isn’t a VIP program here at the moment, you can keep your account topped up via a range of special offers including daily login bonuses, social media giveaways and so on.
MegaBonanza: Pros & Cons
- Over 2,300 casino games
- Competitive welcome offer
- Redeemable cash prizes
- Top games developers
Real Prize - Beat the live dealer here
Sign up to Real Prize for the first time and you can pick up an excellent welcome package that gives you 575,000 Gold Coins, 105 Sweepstakes Coins and no less than 1,000 VIP Points. This is good news because those Sweepstakes Coins can be redeemed for real-world prizes such as cash and gift cards.
Real Prize also has a decent collection of over 500 slot games that come from acclaimed developers like Pragmatic Play. What's best is that the sweeps casino even includes some live dealer games to give you an even more immersive way to play.
Real Prize: Pros & Cons
- Quality live casino
- 550+ casino games
- Cash prizes redeemable
- Generous sign up offer
Clubs Casino - Become a Clubs Casino VIP
Another hot new sweeps casino, Clubs Casino has amassed a quality range of casino games that include over 800 slots from respected gaming studios like Hacksaw Gaming and Pragmatic Play. You can get a welcome offer to start you off with 200,000 Gold Coins and 20 Sweepstakes Coins.
Like all legit sweeps casinos, Clubs Casino lets you play for free, and you also have the potential to redeem cash prizes and some pretty swanky merchandise. Plus with a well-structured VIP program to keep you going, you'll have plenty of fun here.
Clubs Casino: Pros & Cons
- Excellent VIP program
- Attractive welcome offer
- Over 800 casino games
- Real-world prizes redeemable
Spree - Something for everyone at this sweeps casino
Spree has emerged as a well-rounded sweepstakes casino that has something for everyone. It features a vast collection of over 1,600 online slots from leading developers like RubyPlay and Playson, and even finds space to fit in an action-packed live casino.
You can sign up to Spree for the first time and get a welcome offer of 1,030,000 Gold Coins and 32.5 Sweepstakes Coins. Just so you know, those Sweepstakes Coins can be redeemed for cash prizes and gift cards. While there isn't a VIP program here, you'll find lots of promos for existing customers to keep you playing for free.
Spree: Pros & Cons
- Over 1,600 slots
- Live dealer games
- PRO#3
- Massive welcome offer
Jackpota - Excellent sweepstakes casino app
Jackpota is worthy of your attention due to the fact that it is one of the few sweeps casinos that has developed its own mobile app. While this is available for just iOS devices right now, it still gives you a great way to play hundreds of slots from the palm of your hand.
Signing up to Jackpota is a breeze and the brand will give you 57,500 Gold Coins and 27.5 Sweepstakes Coins for doing so. Elsewhere you'll find daily login bonuses, social media giveaways and a quality rewards program. All of these have the power to give you more free Sweepstakes Coins that you can use to redeem some real money prizes.
Jackpota: Pros & Cons
- Quality iOS app
- Generous sign up offer
- Top VIP program
- Redeem cash prizes
Shop Around: How to choose new sweeps casinos
It might be easy to find a great social casino. Just look above for a quick selection of fantastic options. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve yet found the one which is perfect for you.
So, how do you go about it? How do you sieve through an abundance of options to be left with only your ideal sweepstakes casino match? It’s actually fairly simple when you break it down, as you can see with the following instructions:
The first step is actually figuring out what it is you would like out of a sweepstakes casino as best you can. Think about the kind of games you’d like to play. There’s a world of difference in looking for
sweepstakes poker sites
and slot games, for instance. Take this into account, alongside any practical details – such as your mobile and banking needs.
Read our community reviews
Once you have an idea of what you want, check out what real users across our community consider to be the best sweepstakes casinos online. This will not only tell you who are among the best options for US players, but will also provide information which should help you get an idea if you have met your ideal match.
Check they have everything you need
Seeing is believing, so the next step is to simply head on over to the operator yourself and see if they appear to have everything you need. This is not just in terms of practical needs – think promotional terms and conditions as an example. It’s also with regards to how they make you feel and how much fun you think you’ll have there.
Try them out for yourself
If a social casino has ticked your boxes thus far, then it is time to put them to the test. Remember sweepstakes casinos don’t require you to buy anything to play on them. This means that you can try them out without risking anything, so you can just enjoy yourself.
Sign up to as many as you want
Remember too that there’s no reason you have to stick at just the one social casino if you don’t want to. It may be that the first one you tried didn’t cut it or you just want to test out some different games and promotions. Whatever the reason, feel free to enjoy as many sweepstakes casinos as you like.
Which criteria to look at to determine a good sweepstakes casino?
While there are certainly many unique experiences across sweepstakes casinos, there are also elements which the top sweepstakes casinos should have in common.
Here, we are going to break down the key things to look out for in a sweepstakes casino. The reason for this is twofold:
- Firstly, you get some insight into exactly what our community puts into their
sweepstakes casino reviews.
- Secondly, it should illuminate what kind of things you can look out for when deciding if a particular site or app is right for you.
Security
Security checks start with checking for legal legitimacy. In other words, if the operator can be used legally and if so, who can use them legally. Further safety checks include looking for information on the likes of privacy policy, encryption, and reputation. Do note that sweepstakes casinos don’t require the same licenses as real money casinos.
Usability
Testing here revolves around pushing the online sweepstakes casinos to their limits through vigorous use. The question being asked here is simple: could a person without much technical knowledge or experience with casinos easily enjoy this casino without any issues? If the answer is yes, then our community is much more likely to recommend them to the
average Joe!
Bonus offers
Promotional offers for a social casino are how you get the coins which allows you to play in the first place. That’s alongside adding extra value and allowing you to redeem cash prizes. In addition to checking out the promo page, you’ll receive a real-user experience of redeeming the bonus. In turn, this should let fellow players know how straightforward the bonus really is!
Customer support
Customer support begins with how well a site is designed and explained. If everything is made nice and clear to you, most of your questions can be easily answered. Beyond that though, a friendly customer support team should be available to answer any additional questions. This is incredibly important to the user experience. You’re not just looking for contact methods, but the quality and speed of responses too.
Payment methods
While payments are certainly optional for people using social casinos, many people will want to purchase additional coins for extra playtime and bonuses that may come with them. Here, our contributors will check the variety of payment methods available, alongside testing out their practicalities. So, if you decide you wish to buy more coins, you can do so easily and safely – and potentially redeem some prizes down the line.
Overall selection of games
All players will be looking for an enjoyable, varied and glitch-free gaming experience. The first checks conducted here will often focus on which titles are available, including the software developers behind them. After assessing the variety, our contributors tend to test the games for how well they work, whether the mechanics are fair, and generally how much fun they are. Once completed, you’ll know the target audience of these games - hopefully, everything from slots to table game fans are covered.
Terms and conditions
The fine print is a slightly tricker section and one that our contributors have become well-equipped to answer. Here, you’ll find out whether any unnecessary terms are used, you’ll find complex jargon is deciphered and whether or not your preferred sweepstakes casino is deemed fair and transparent. Of course, terms and conditions can be updated by the site at any time. So, we always recommend you check them for yourself, too.
Your very own VIP guide to sweepstakes casinos
We hope that this page has everything you need to direct you towards the best sweepstakes betting experience. Remember that above all else, social casinos are all about having fun. So, be sure to check out our community’s real-user reviews, recommendations and other articles related to sweepstakes casinos online to ensure you have all the information you need to enjoy all your favorite games and have the best time possible. You might even redeem a prize or two along the way!
Compare the best sweepstakes casinos!
1.
up to 625K GC +
125 FREE SC
+ 1250 VIP Points
2.
up to 560K GC +
56 FREE SC
+ 5% Rakeback
3.
up to 57500 GC +
27.5 FREE SC
4.
150% Purchase Offer:
25 SC
FREE and 50K GC
5.
up to 57500 GC +
27.5 FREE SC
Annie Callahan
Expert Social Casino Writer
Expert For:
Social/Sweepstake Casinos
About Annie Callahan:
Annie’s here to review sweepstakes casinos in the US. See what she ...
Loren Oller
Expert Sweepstakes Casino Writer
Expert For:
Sweepstakes and Social Casinos
About Loren Oller:
Loren is our latest addition to the SweepstakesCasino team! With a passion ...
Mike Osbourne
Expert Social Casino Writer
Expert For:
Social/Sweepstake Casinos
About Mike Osbourne:
Mike’s our resident sweepstakes casino guru. Check out his advice and tips ...
Sweeps Casino FAQs
✅Are online sweepstakes casinos legal in the USA?
The legal situation surrounding most casinos in the United States is very complicated. If you’re wondering how sweepstakes casinos fit into all this, and quite simply, if they’re legal in most of the US, then we’ve got you covered. SweepstakesCasino.com will be making the legal side of things absolutely clear as part of our quest to bring as many people as possible their ideal social casino experience.
❓How do social casinos work?
Understanding how social casinos, or sweepstakes casinos, work is vital to being able to decide if they’re generally right for you and if so, which will provide you with the most fun. That’s why we won’t just be explaining how social casinos work in general terms. We’ll also be breaking down all of the key elements, including how coins and currency systems work. We’ll even explain whether it’s possible to win cash using one of these casinos.
🎰How do you compare social casinos?
One of the most important things we do at SweepstakesCasino.com is offer real users the chance to contribute reviews focused on the best sweepstakes casinos from all around the world. This allows you to understand the differences between them, alongside who has the quality to be worthy of your consideration. All this is to help you decide which you want to sign up to for the best casino experience.
