How social casinos work
Social casinos look and feel just like regular online casinos but for one important difference – social casinos don’t contain any form of real money gambling.
We’ve got this entire guide that discusses, ‘What is a social casino?’ but for now it’s enough to know that these sites let you play their games with virtual currencies. Not only can you do this for free across most states in the US but you can even redeem real money prizes too.
How can social casinos be legal?
There is a lot of confusion about social casinos, but they are actually fairly simple once you understand the key ingredients of how these sites work. Here is a list of how the key things that each social casino has to do to be legal in most states across the US.
No real money gambling
You won’t be gambling on casino games with your own cash at social casinos. Instead of this, you will be playing with virtual currency that has no cash value outside of the gaming site.
Many social casinos will let you play games for fun with a form of virtual currency called Gold Coins. However, many will let you use another form of virtual currency called Sweepstakes Coins. This lets you play the games in a sweepstakes mode and potentially redeem real-world prizes as a result.
No requirement to pay
One cool thing about social casinos is the fact that they have to let you enter their sweepstakes with no purchase necessary. As such, you should always be able to get some free Sweepstakes Coins via a special offer.
No direct winnings
Don’t go thinking that you can directly win money at social casinos. Instead, you will be able to redeem your Sweepstakes Coins for cash prizes and gift cards once you have played through them the required amount of times.
No deposits possible
As well as always being able to play for free at social casinos, these sites don’t have the capacity to accept your deposits. The closest thing that they get to this is to let you purchase one of their Gold Coins packages. Just remember that Gold Coins are only used to play for entertainment purposes, meaning that you can’t redeem them for prizes.
Minimum age requirement
Although social casinos don’t have any real money gambling, you will still usually have to be at least 18 years old to play at these sites. This means that you will have to verify your identity with some form of photo ID.
See where social casino gaming is legal
While social casinos are legal across most of the US, certain states like Washington, Idaho, Michigan and Nevada remain opposed to this kind of gaming.
As well as that, each state has the power to set its own sweepstakes gaming laws and decide which brands to let operate within its borders. So we have created the following table to see if you can play at these gaming sites in your state:
| States where sweepstakes casinos are usually legal | States where some sweepstakes casinos may be unavailable | States that usually prohibit sweepstakes gaming |
| Alaska | Georgia | Washington |
| Arizona | Kentucky | Nevada |
| Arkansas | Michigan | Idaho |
| California | New York | Michigan |
| Colorado | Alabama | Maryland |
| Connecticut | Montana | |
| Delaware | Wyoming | |
| Florida | | |
| Hawaii | | |
| Illinois | | |
| Indiana | | |
| Iowa | | |
| Kansas | | |
| Louisiana | | |
| Maine | | |
| Massachusetts | | |
| Minnesota | | |
| Mississippi | | |
| Missouri | | |
| Nebraska | | |
| New Hampshire | | |
| New Jersey | | |
| New Mexico | | |
| North Carolina | | |
| North Dakota | | |
| Ohio | | |
| Oklahoma | | |
| Oregon | | |
| Pennsylvania | | |
| Rhode Island | | |
| South Dakota | | |
| Tennessee | | |
| Texas | | |
| Utah | | |
| Virginia | | |
| West Virginia | | |
| Wisconsin | | |
From this, we can see that most states should be able to access a sweepstakes casino. Just remember that individual states may not allow certain brands to operate. Here are some of own favorite sweeps casinos and details of the states that they cannot operate in:
- McLuck: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, and Washington
- Wow Vegas: Washington, Nevada, Idaho, Montana or Michigan.
- High 5 Casino: Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, Kentucky and Washington
- Real Prize: Idaho, Michigan, Nevada and Washington
- Stake.us: Vermont, Idaho, Nevada, New York, Kentucky, Michigan, Washington
How social casinos make money
The fact that you can always play for free at social casinos means that these sites must have an alternative form of income in order to stay in business.
So the key thing to remember is that each of these sites will allow you to purchase their Gold Coins packages. These purchases are entirely optional but they form the backbone of how social casinos stay operational.
All of this means that while you cannot play for
real money social casinos
will let you make optional purchases to buy Gold Coins, and even get some free Sweepstakes Coins as a bonus. Perfect for getting closer to those redeemable cash prizes.
Safety first at social casinos
You will obviously want to stay safe if you want to play at any of the
best new social casinos for real money
prizes. So we’ve made sure that our reviews will examine the follow points to ensure that you get a safe and legal way to play:
Is the website safe to use?
You know the drill here – check for the twosome that tells you the connection is secure. You need to find the padlock for starters, with the https:// feature hot on its heels.
Does the app regularly update?
Since many social casinos offer app versions as well, it’s vital to know how often they update, especially regarding essential security updates.
Does the casino include welcome bonuses?
A
new online social casino
should create a deal for new signups. The most common is to offer gold coins, sometimes each day, with a bigger stack of coins for your first login.
Are there strong support options to use?
All legal social casinos in the USA should provide their players with support if they need it. The exclusion of real prizes doesn’t negate the need for this.
What are the player reviews like?
Thousands of people use social casinos, and while they don’t all leave reviews, enough people typically do to give potential newcomers a chance to learn more about the site.
Top social casino bonuses
1.
Up to 125 SC FREE + 625K Golden Coins + 1250 VIP Points
2.
55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Wagering (WR): 3x
3.
27.5 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
Wagering (WR): 1x Bonus
4.
150% Purchase Offer: 25 SC FREE and 50K GC
5.
35 SC FREE and 1.75M WOW Coins
Wagering (WR): 1x Bonus, Min. Deposit: 9.99
More power to you! Adjust your approach to enjoy your chosen site even more
Learn how to enjoy more from your casino membership by following these tips.
Creating your account via Facebook is the best way to do this, but you can still sign up via email and connect to your Facebook account afterward if you wish.
Oftentimes, this triggers daily bonuses, so it makes sense to rack up those gold coins to play with. They may not have any real value, but they let you play for longer.
Collect all your freebies
Are there free spins to claim when you sign up? Are there other competitions or offers you can take advantage of? Check and see whenever you can, as it is one of the best ways to boost your balance with a prize or two.
Contests and leaderboards provide other ways to enjoy a social casino. Friendly competition among friends is great, and you might even make a few new ones – friends, that is.
It’s rare to find a social casino that doesn’t have different levels to progress through. You’ll be able to access these via their
social casino app
or on the standard website. See what you need to do to reach the next level each time.
Conclusion – Start playing at the best social casinos
We’ve shown you that social casinos offer you a fantastic alternative to regular online casinos. After all, even the
best online casinos in the US
are only available in a handful of states, whereas social casinos are playable across the majority of the nation.
The great news is that it looks like the social gaming phenomenon is going from strength to strength and you can now even use
social betting apps
for your favorite sports. But for now, pick one of our featured social casinos and start playing.
The best legal social casinos in the US
1.
Up to 125 SC FREE + 625K Golden Coins + 1250 VIP Points
2.
55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
3.
27.5 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
4.
150% Purchase Offer: 25 SC FREE and 50K GC
5.
35 SC FREE and 1.75M WOW Coins
US legal social casino FAQ
⏰ Are social casinos legal?
Yes, social casinos are legal in the vast majority of the US. Just note that that each state has the power to set its own social gaming laws, with the likes of Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Michigan being more restrictive than most.
⚡ Can you win real money on social casino games?
No, you cannot directly win real money by playing at social casinos. However, if you get some free Sweepstakes Coins via some
social casino promo codes, you might be able to redeem them for cash prizes .
🌎 Is there a legit social casino app?
Yes, there are many legit social casino apps that you can use in many states in the US. Brands like McLuck and High 5 Casino have created excellent mobile apps that you can legally use to play in 40+ states across the nation.
☝ Is there a legal online casino in the US?
Yes, there are dozens of legal online casinos in the US, but you should note that these are only playable in a handful of states. This is why so many people choose to play at social casinos which are much more legally widespread. .
✨ Who can enjoy US social gambling?
You will usually have to be at least 18 years old to use social casinos and sportsbooks, although this age limit may rise to 21 years for certain brands. Plus these sites are legally available in most states with the exception of a few like Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Michigan.
