What Are Sweepstakes Online Casinos?

Players love online casino games. From the moment the first casinos opened their virtual doors, players flocked to try their luck and enjoy themselves. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to live in a state where online gambling is legal. Until recently, there wasn’t much for those players to do, but hope that regulations would change.

That said, a new option has appeared recently: sweepstakes casinos. They straddle the line of what regulators find acceptable, allowing more people to have fun playing casino games. How do these online casinos operate, and what sets them apart from standard gambling sites? Find out in this article.

How Do Sweepstakes Coins Work?

Sweepstakes or social casinos do not allow you to make real money bets. Instead, all betting is done through virtual currencies – coins. There are usually two types of coins: gold coins and sweepstakes coins.

Gold coins are the primary currency you use when playing at sweepstakes casinos. They’re the equivalent of playing in demo mode at regular gambling sites, as they cannot be cashed out. The casino will usually award these generously through various bonuses, but it also lets you get more by buying coin packs.

Sweepstakes coins are much rarer. You can trade them in for real money at a fixed rate set by the casino. Like gold coins, you can get them from bonuses, but you cannot buy them directly. Instead, they serve as a sort of bonus currency, which is how sweepstakes casinos get around online gambling regulations.

That said, there is a way to get sweepstakes coins on demand. When you purchase gold coin packs, the casino will usually give you some SC on top of that. Any sweepstakes coins you earn must be wagered at least once before you can swap them for cash.

Playing Games at Sweepstakes Casinos

There are no functional differences between casino games on social and regular online casinos. The features and rewards remain the same, so you get the complete experience even if you’re not making real money bets.

On average, sweepstakes casinos offer fewer releases and focus more on slots. However, this depends on the operator, as the best social casinos have tons of titles and excellent game variety. It’s not uncommon to see live dealer releases, table games, Slingo, video poker, and more on these websites.

You can play games using both gold and sweepstakes coins. You can swap between the two freely, but you cannot transfer your gold coin winnings into sweepstakes coins or vice versa. There are no exclusive games – if you can play it with one type of coin, you can play it with the other.

Sweepstakes Casino Bonuses

While social casino promotions do share some overlap with online casinos, there are some key differences. Sweepstakes casinos are designed to be a free-to-play experience, which means you don’t have to buy your way into these bonuses. Instead, you can claim them either by opening an account, logging in daily, participating in tournaments, or following the operator’s social media.

Promotions primarily award gold coins or free spins on select games. You’ll also receive some sweepstakes coins as a bonus reward, but they’re not as common as the first two. Rewards for most bonuses are awarded automatically, but some may require you to enter a bonus code.

Should I Try Sweepstakes Casinos?

Sweepstakes casinos are the best way to play slots and other casino games if you live in a state where real-money betting is restricted. You get to enjoy the same titles, claim numerous promotions, and even redeem a few real money prizes without running afoul of local laws.

That said, social casinos can be appealing even if you don’t live in a state where online gambling is illegal. Since you’re only playing for coins, you get to enjoy all the fun of casino games without risking any money. Sweepstakes casinos also adhere to responsible gambling principles, allowing players to limit how many coins they can buy or enable self-exclusion.