You may even be familiar with the term “sweepstake” already. A sweepstake is a contest where prizes are awarded to one or more winners at random. The Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes or the McDonald’s Monopoly promotion are some of the more famous examples.

A hallmark of sweepstakes is that you often do not directly purchase an entry to the competition itself. Rather, you will receive entry to the contest after buying a different product or service.

In fact, there is no purchase necessary to enter a sweepstake – entries can be claimed for free by requesting them from the operator.

This is similar to how Sweepstakes Casinos operate to offer legal online casino gaming in the majority of US states. The casinos do this by hosting social casino games that are not played with real money.

Instead, players receive or purchase special tokens known as coins. Read on to find out how you can enjoy legal online casino games and win real money.

How do Sweepstakes Casinos work?

Online Sweepstakes Casinos are growing in popularity in the US. Despite this, a lot of players are still unfamiliar with how they work. They offer a social gaming experience by awarding coins to new players, who can also purchase further coins. These coins are used to play casino games.

Signing up to a Sweepstakes Casino, receiving coins, and playing legal casino games is a simple process. If you are at least 18 years old and a US resident, then you are able to sign up to a Sweepstakes Casino. The only exception is Washington state, where online sweepstakes games are illegal.

About Gold Coins & Sweeps Coins

The tokens with which online casino games are played at Sweepstakes Casinos are called coins. The main thing you need to know is that there are two types of coins you will encounter:

Gold Coins: these coins are often awarded after account creation, and further coins can be purchased from the casino. These coins can be used to play social casino games, but have no monetary value, and cannot be redeemed for cash.
Sweeps Coins: these coins are collected as a free bonus when purchasing Gold Coins, or given away as a promotional reward at Sweepstakes Casinos. They can be exchanged for cash prizes, with one Sweeps Coin typically being worth $1. There is no purchase necessary to receive Sweeps Coins.

While the fastest way to receive Sweeps Coins is by purchasing Gold Coins and receiving a free Sweeps Coin bundle, there is no purchase necessary to receive Sweeps Coins. By writing directly to the casino and requesting Sweeps Coins, you will be given a predetermined amount.

Because you are using coins and not real money to play casino games, and because no purchase is necessary to receive Sweeps Coins, Sweepstakes Casinos are completely legal in 49 US states.

Can I actually win real money at Sweepstakes Casinos?

Once you have collected enough Sweeps Coins and want to claim your cash prizes, you will need to provide ID documents to the casino. This is a very standard process undertaken by many companies in order to prove the identity and residency of their customers.

To redeem your Sweeps Coins and claim real money prizes, you must confirm your identification and US residency. This means you will need to send in electronic copies of an ID such as a passport or driver’s license, as well as proof of address like a recent utility bill.

After this verification process is complete, you will be able to redeem your Sweeps Coins for real money and send this to your bank account. Remember that if you are under the age of 18 or a resident of Washington state, you will be unable to play Sweepstakes Casino games.

Sweepstakes casino players have won over one million dollars in a single progressive jackpot slot machine. Our Sweepstakes Casino news section covers big wins, the launch of new sweepstakes casinos and new casino game releases.

Are Sweepstakes Casinos legal in the USA?

Sweepstakes casinos are legal in 49 states. The only exception is Washington state, where playing sweepstakes for profit online is illegal. Residents of other states can play Sweepstakes Casinos completely legally.

Under US law, three elements need to be present for a contest to be defined as gambling. These elements are prize, chance, and consideration. The casino games themselves of course have the element of chance. Additionally, Sweepstakes Casinos have prizes in the form of both Gold Coins with no cash value and Sweeps Coins worth $1 each.

Crucially, the element of consideration is not present. Most states define the concept of consideration for online casinos as payment of money to play the games. Because you do not use real money to play, and you do not have to spend any money to receive Sweeps Coins, Sweepstakes Casinos can offer legal online casino games in the US.

What casino games can I play at Sweepstakes Casinos?

Sweepstakes Casinos offer many of the world’s most popular online casino games. Classic card and table games, online slots, and poker games are all available to play at the top Sweepstakes Casinos.

Card and table games

A range of classic casino games can be found at online Sweepstakes Casinos, including these favourites:

Blackjack: America’s most popular casino card game.
Roulette: the quintessential casino table game.
Poker: all the famous versions of pokers across ring games and tournaments.

Online slots

The most popular type of game at any casino is the slot machine or video slot. You can find a range of different and exciting slots at Sweepstakes Casinos. Each game has different themes, mechanics, and bonus features to explore.

Sweepstakes Poker

While real money poker is only legal in a handful of states, Sweepstakes Poker games are completely legal for almost every US resident. Poker tournaments and ring games are available at various stakes via Sweepstakes Casino sites.

Sports Betting

Some Sweepstakes Casinos are centered around sports betting and props, including college football and basketball as well as eSports. If sports bets are your thing instead of casino games or poker, you can still enjoy Sweepstakes Casinos.

What are the best Sweepstakes Casinos?

Now that you understand how Sweepstakes Casinos work and how you can play casino games legally in the US, it’s time to sign up to a casino. Our detailed sweepstakes casino reviews cover everything you need to know to register and start winning.

Whether you want to play poker, bet on sports, or enjoy classic games, there’s a casino with your name on it.

Chumba Casino

Games available: slots, table games

Excluded states: Washington

About: Chumba Casino is one of the most established Sweepstakes Casinos available in the US. It has a user-friendly, minimalistic design with a mobile-ready website. Their portfolio is a selection of high-quality games including table games and slots.

Pulsz Casino

Games available: slots, poker

Excluded states: Idaho, Nevada, Washington

About: Pulsz Casino has been operating since 2020. It is run by a Gibraltar-based company called Yellow Social Interactive. Pulsz boasts a strong selection of online slots, and offers regular bonuses and promotions to players including a VIP rewards program.

Global Poker

Games available: poker

Excluded states: Washington

About: Global Poker was one of the first sites to offer Sweepstakes Poker in the US. Players can take part in ring games, tournaments, and fast-fold games. A range of stakes are available for Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Crazy Pineapple.

Enchanted Casino

Games available: online slots, poker, table games

Excluded states: Hawaii, Minnesota, Vermont, Washington

About: Enchanted Casino offers various themed online slot games as well as some casino classics. Poker, blackjack, and keno games are available as well as bingo and baccarat. Many of the slots offer progressive jackpot prizes.

Funzpoints

Games available: slots

Excluded states: Idaho, Washington

About: Funzpoints Casino is a unique and exciting Sweepstakes Casino that offers daily jackpots and free to play games. Players can play slots for free and have a chance to win daily prizes. Upgraded users can enjoy further features and games.

Luckyland Slots

Games available: slots

Excluded states: Idaho, Washington

About: Luckyland Slots is owned by the same Australian company behind Global Poker and Chumba Casino. As the name suggests, this operator is an online slots specialist. Luckyland Slots runs in your browser, and an Android app is also available.

High5 Casino

Games available: slots

Excluded states: Washington

About: High5 Casino puts a focus on fun and entertainment with their range of online sweepstakes slots. A number of high-quality slots are available to play, with further VIP games unlockable after completing promotions and milestones.

Fliff Sports Betting

Games available: sports betting

Excluded states: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, Washington

About: Fliff Sports Betting is a social sportsbook, giving it a unique place among our list of the best Sweepstakes Casinos. Fliff boasts a range of markets and has a slick mobile app available for both iPhone and Android devices.

What’s the difference between real money online casinos and Sweepstakes Casinos?

In short, the key difference is that Sweepstakes Casinos do not allow you to play casino games with real money.

While real money online casinos remain illegal in all but a small number of US states, Sweepstakes Casinos are only prohibited in Washington state. The difference is due to the way that US law defines gambling.

Gambling must have three elements: prizes, chance, and consideration. Real money online casinos have all three, and are illegal. However, Sweepstakes Casinos do not have the element of consideration. This is because you are not paying money to play.

At real money casinos, you sign up and deposit cash with which you can directly play games. At Sweepstakes Casinos, you sign up and buy coins with which you can play casino games. These cannot be exchanged for cash, but you will receive free Sweeps Coins with your purchase that can be. Alternatively, you can make a postal request for free Sweeps Coins that the casino must honour.

This means you will not wager real money on any casino games, and do not have to make a purchase to receive Sweeps Coins. It is this difference that makes USA Sweepstakes Casinos completely legal.

Can I win cash at Sweepstakes Casinos without buying coins?

New Sweepstakes Casino players will usually receive a welcome offer of Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins for free. This bonus can be made to last by employing careful bankroll management techniques and not risking too much of it on any single bet. With some caution and a little luck, you can win further Sweeps Coins and redeem them for cash.

You will have the option of buying further Gold Coins at any time, which generally come with free Sweeps Coins. However, it is entirely possible to win cash without buying coins. In addition to making use of the welcome bonus, there are further ways to claim Sweeps Coins:

Promotions: many Sweepstakes Casinos will offer reload bonuses or other incentives to win or receive Sweeps Coins.
Social media: be sure that you follow the casino’s social media pages so that you don’t miss any additional social offers or promotions.
Postal request: if you send a postcard to the operator requesting Sweeps Coins, then by law they must provide them.

How to make Sweepstakes Casinos postal requests

Like other sweepstakes promotions such as McDonald’s Monopoly, Sweepstakes Casinos must provide Sweeps Coins for free to anyone who requests them. You must ensure that your request is written correctly and according to the casino’s terms and conditions in order for it to be fulfilled.

It may take several weeks for the casino to process your request, but you will get Sweeps Coins once the request is received.