What is a sweepstakes casino?
A sweepstakes casino is a great alternative to a traditional online casino and allows players to play for fun or the chance to walk away with real cash prizes.
It has become a popular choice for many US casino enthusiasts as it provides players with the chance to enjoy great casino titles without ever having to make an onsite purchase. Thanks to the no purchase necessary law, sweepstakes players from 49 states can legally play online sweepstakes casino games for real money prizes in the USA without ever having to spend a single cent!
How does a sweepstakes casino work?
We have seen a recent surge in new sweeps casino users and, when you consider their reach and offering, it’s easy to see why. For those of you completely new to the idea, let us explain how they work.
Most sweepstakes casinos will make use of two virtual currencies. Often, these will be referred to as Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC).
GC are the primary currency used across any chosen site and will be eligible for use across all gaming titles. Gold Coins hold no monetary value and can be unlocked, won or purchased in various ways. The most common way for players to obtain more GC is by winning on slots, redeeming bonuses or by making a real-money GC package purchase.
SC holds a real money value and can often be exchanged for cash prizes, gift vouchers or merchandise. Although harder to come by, Sweeps Coins can be acquired by entering competitions or social media giveaways and, of course, staking across promotional titles. All Sweeps Coins will come with a playthrough requirement and minimum withdrawal limit that must be passed before any exchange of funds can be made.
Once you’ve established whether you are looking to play for fun or for real cash prizes, you can begin to stake your GC or SC in the same manner you would any real money online casino wagers. Most top sweepstakes casinos will now make use of elite software providers, 24/7 customer support and a random number generator, too. In other words, you can experience a similar thrill to real money online casino action without ever having to spend a dollar!
| Gold Coins | Sweeps Coins |
| Play for fun only | Play for cash prizes |
| Can be won, unlocked and purchased | Cannot be purchased |
| Can be used across the full casino library | Can be used on promotional titles and entered into competitions |
| Cannot be withdrawn or exchanged for prizes | Holds minimum playthrough and withdrawal requirements |
How to sign up with the best social casinos
Happy with how a sweepstakes casino works? We thought you might be. It’s now time to check out this simple step-by-step guide that details exactly how you can sign yourself up to most top sweepstakes casinos today!
- Players will make use of our dedicated reviews and will soon find a suitable sweepstakes casino.
- They will ensure that their chosen sweepstakes casino is legally allowed to operate in their state and commence the registration process.
- Users will then link their Facebook, Google, email or alternative social media account before entering any promotional codes and clicking submit.
- If a verification link is forwarded, new patrons will need to click on this before heading back to their chosen sweepstakes casino and logging in.
- Once onsite, any new customer bonuses will be released.
- New players will now be free to make use of the gaming portfolio and any Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins that have been redeemed.
Attributes of a top online sweeps casino - how we judge the best sweepstakes casinos
In this next section of our sweepstakes casino guide, we take a closer look at what key attributes help to separate the best sweepstakes casinos from the rest. You may want to take note here, as this information could prove critical when you decide to make your way through our comprehensive sweeps coins casino reviews later!
Many sweepstakes casino users are looking to play-for-fun only. With this in mind, it makes perfect sense to check out the kind of games that are on offer before signing yourself up. As noted earlier, top social casinos are now making use of elite software providers and offering gaming libraries that mimic real money casino alternatives. Thankfully, our experts are well-versed in the types of games provided and cover this extensively in our reviews.
No shocks here! Bonuses and promotions are one of the main ways that players can keep their Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins topped up. So, understandably, you’ll want to find yourself a sweepstakes casino that offers a sizable starter and plenty of ongoing bonuses to match. Our reviews also detail whether a rewards program is offered and the additional perks that may come from opting in.
Again, enjoyment is the key focus of any sweepstakes casino experience and how you access your chosen site can prove just as critical as unlocking those ongoing rewards. You’ll find that our experts detail the complete user experience, paying particularly close attention to the design, layout and overall feel. However, alongside usability, we will also discuss whether you need to have your laptop with you or if you can load up some great sweepstakes action on your phone!
Regardless of your knowledge and experience, customer support will always be a key area to consider when selecting your next place to play online. Throughout our reviews, you will find that we put agents to the test before deciding if their responses were prompt and helpful. We also detail the various ways that you can get in contact and if the FAQs, blogs or social forums were of any help!
Although licensing may not be the biggest consideration for social casino players, finding a site that is backed by a state-specific regulator could highlight provably fair games and a safer gaming experience. In our reviews, our experts will also ensure that your chosen sweepstakes casino conducts KYC checks, provides safer gambling tools and utilizes encryption technology.
Best social casino sites
1.
$25 No Deposit + 250,000 Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
2.
3.
4.
Our favorite new online sweepstakes casinos - find your perfect match
Now that we’ve explained a little bit more about how to identify the best social casino across the US, let us present three sweepstakes casinos that we believe to be the cream of the crop.
Stake.us - showcasing an impressive casino library
One of the most impressive social casinos that pay real money is Stake.us. The popular platform has a gigantic gaming portfolio of over 300 titles, powered by the likes of Pragmatic Play and Hacksaw Gaming. The range of games spans all sorts of genres, including slots, table games and scratchcards, as well as a dedicated section that has some unique games created by the Stake.us in-house development team.
Users can play for fun using Gold Coins (GC) or play for real cash prizes using Stake Cash (SC). Although players can only use their Stake Cash across promotional slots, entries to online competitions and social media giveaways are also available to all patrons. Once $50 of Stake Cash has been acquired, players can look to exchange their SC for gift vouchers, merchandise or cash prizes.
Welcome bonuses are done slightly differently at Stake.us and standard players will not be presented with a bonus for registering per se. Instead, players will be presented with a daily login bonus that gifts users with a varied quantity of GC and SC that is reflective of their gameplay. However, our players can use the exclusive bonus code BUKSOCIAL to claim back 5% Rakeback against tall losses incurred on the site, and, although there is currently no sweepstake casino app available, users are able to access their sweepstakes account online or through a mobile browser.
$25 No Deposit + 250,000 Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Fortune Coins - a sizable sign up bonus awaits
For those of you who are interested in giving your sweepstakes casino experience a substantial head start, Fortune Coins could be the place to visit. Once new players have made their way through the registration process, a 140,000 Gold Coin (GC) and 500 Fortune Coin (FC) bonus will be released. While there are no complex terms surrounding the bonus, users will be required to link their Facebook account before all of their GC and FC are released.
The online sweepstakes casino offers real money cash prizes and a great range of sweepstake slots to play across, too. At the time of writing, we found over 40 slot titles were available to players, alongside a handful of alternative games, including Keno, video poker and fish games. The 500 FC received from the welcome bonus is equivalent to $5 and players will be required to obtain $50 before a withdrawal can take place.
Any withdrawals will be processed promptly, provided all KYC checks are completed successfully. Thankfully, if any issues do arise, players can get in contact with customer support around the clock.
BetRivers.net - enjoy a risk-free live casino experience
Next on our list we have a social casino with no real money prizes. That’s right – BetRivers is strictly a play-for-fun site and does not make use of sweeps coins or competitions.
BetRivers sets itself aside from the rest of the sweepstakes casino scene by providing an immersive user experience, simple registration process, a four-hourly sweepstake casino bonus and a stacked casino lobby. Here, we found popular casino titles backed by the likes of NetEnt and IGT, as well as a dedicated live casino suite – something we were yet to see from its competitors!
The registration process at BetRivers is a little lengthier than those detailed above; however, this is due to the KYC checks being completed at the sign-up stage. As no withdrawals are to be made, players will need to confirm their identity at the start of their BetRivers experience to receive their $250VC welcome bonus instead!
Take advantage of these great social casino bonuses
1.
$25 No Deposit + 250,000 Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Requirements (WR): 3x Deposit
2.
–
Requirements (WR): 3x Deposit
3.
–
Requirements (WR): 3x Deposit
4.
–
Requirements (WR): 3x Deposit
Conclusion - let us help you find the best online sweepstakes casino in USA
We’ve now reached the end of our latest sweepstakes casino guide. Before we leave you to find your next place to play, let us quickly recap on a few key pointers from above.
Sweepstakes casinos provide an accessible and enjoyable alternative to real money online casinos. They are legal across 49 states and do not require a purchase to be made in order to make use of the games. Instead, players can redeem welcome bonuses, unlock ongoing promotions or enter competitions and social media giveaways to help keep their virtual currencies topped up. Speaking of which, most top sweepstakes casinos will make use of two virtual currencies – Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC). Gold Coins are for your entertainment only while Sweeps Coins present players with the chance to leave with real cash prizes, gift vouchers or merchandise.
To help find the right play-for-fun site for you, we at Betting.co.uk have created dedicated reviews of some of the best sweepstakes casinos around. We focus heavily on site security, available bonuses, customer support, casino games and accessibility, in order to offer a fair reflection of the complete sweepstakes casino experience. Hopefully, it won’t be long until you find your perfect match.
Sweepstakes Casino FAQ
📱How do I find the best sweepstakes casino today?
Our experts have been busy working their way across the US social casino scene, in the hopes of finding some of the best online social casinos for you. We’ve identified some of our favorites in our latest sweepstakes casino guide and highlighted a few ways to spot your perfect match, too!
💵 Do social casinos pay out real money prizes?
In our latest sweepstakes casino guide, we offer a complete rundown of what to expect when joining a sweepstakes casino. We explain exactly what a sweepstakes casino is, how they work and the various perks that they offer!
💰 Should I spend real money in a sweepstakes casino?
One of the great bonuses of joining a sweepstakes casino is that no purchase is necessary to play. Should you wish to make an onsite purchase, we suggest finding a platform that makes use of credible payment methods. You can find out other attributes of the best sweepstakes casinos in our latest sweepstakes casino guide!
