Are sweepstakes casinos legal?
Let’s jump right in with a look at the million Gold Coin question: are sweepstakes casinos legal? The answer is a 100% yes so long as they adhere to set conditions of play. Sweeps casinos are not open to any players below the age of 18, or 21 if that’s the legal age of majority in your region, and are only permitted to operate in certain states (we’ll cover this in more detail in just a second).
Unlike real money gaming sites, which are only permitted in a handful of US states, sweeps casinos operate on a dual virtual currency system. Players won’t ever use real dollars or cents to play games but two forms of digital-only token, which only work at the site and have no real world value. These virtual currencies are called Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins. Let’s break down how each one works:
| Virtual currency |
Role |
Can it be redeemed as real prizes? |
| Gold Coins (GC) |
Gold Coins allow you to play in free mode at sweeps casinos, purely for entertainment. You can never redeem Gold Coins as prizes but they’re great for letting you explore a game. Gold Coins are given to players for free through the site sign up bonus and via ongoing promotions. |
No |
| Sweepstakes Coins (SC) |
Also variously known as Sweeps Coins, Sweepstakes Coins are used to play in prize mode.
Unlike Gold Coins, SC can never be purchased but they can be redeemed as real life prizes. These include cash prizes, gift cards and even merchandise such as branded hoodies at some sites. |
Yes |
Crucially, all reputable sweepstakes casinos have a strict no-purchase policy in place. Players can buy Gold Coins if they wish to but this is purely optional and won’t ever increase your chances of winning. Any sweeps casino that makes such a claim should immediately be on your ‘stay away’ list.
Who can play at sweepstakes casinos?
Sweepstakes casinos are legal under US law but don’t operate in all regions due to state specific regulations. Several states (California, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Washington) don’t allow sweepstakes casinos at all so this is a good way to check if a site is legit straight off the bat. At reliable sweepstakes casinos, there’ll be clear details in the terms and conditions or outlined during the sign up process telling you which states are excluded.
Pros and cons of sweepstakes casinos
Pros and Cons
- Completely legal in 40+ states
- Great choice of casino-style games
- Play for free
- Redeem real world prizes
- Geographic restrictions apply
Why is it so important to find a trustworthy sweepstakes casino?
Despite not requiring licenses, reliable and reputable sweepstakes casinos still conform to strict standards of safety, security and fair play. This makes sure that your experience is enjoyable and, importantly, that it’s fair. Trustworthy sweepstakes casinos have prominent information on their homepages about their registered address and any affiliate bodies. So, if anything ever happens, you know where to turn to fix your issue.
There are also lots of other benefits to playing at trustworthy sweepstakes casinos:
- Your play is legal:
Untrustworthy sweeps brands don’t tend to be too picky about confirming whether players are eligible to access their platform. That can mean it’s possible for minors to sign up. Even though there’s no real money involved, playing casino-style games is a strictly adult activity and shouldn’t be accessible to those under 18. To confirm you meet the age requirement, and that you’re a resident of an eligible state, you’ll be asked to complete KYC verification when you sign up. This involves uploading a copy of your ID and a document which proves your address, such as a bank statement.
- There’s support if you need it:
Legit sweepstakes casinos have a strong focus on customer support and usually offer several methods to contact the team, from email to live chat. So, if you encounter any issues, you’ll know there’s always support to help you rectify it.
- You won’t risk not receiving prizes:
One of the most common complaints players have about untrustworthy sweepstakes casinos is that prize redemptions never arrive. That won’t be a worry at reliable brands. There’ll also be a range of promotions offering free Gold and Sweepstakes Coins. You won’t find
no deposit sweepstakes casinos, as deposits aren’t supported at legitimate brands, but you’ll find plenty of free offers including login bonuses and fun social media giveaways.
- It’s easy to set up responsible gaming tools:
Whether you’re playing at sweeps casinos alongside real money play elsewhere or solely focused on sweeps play, it’s important to have the option to use responsible gaming tools. These make sure that the focus is always on fun. All of the reputable sweepstakes casinos on our list have many responsible gaming tools including GC purchase limits and the option to set time out reminders.
- There are clear security features:
Our reliable sweeps casinos make sure that your personal details are safe by using encryption and firewall technology. This might not be in place at untrustworthy sweepstakes casinos, putting your information at risk.
- Banking methods are reliable:
All reputable sweepstakes casinos make sure to offer a range of reliable and widely accessible banking options for buying Gold Coins and redeeming Sweepstakes Coins. The options at every site differ but you’ll most frequently find Visa and Mastercard. ACH bank transfer, e-wallets such as PayPal and Google and Apple Pay are also becoming popular options. This selection makes sure that all payments are completed quickly and safely.
- Games come from market leaders:
At safe and trustworthy sweeps casinos, games come from the best and brightest games studios. Not only does this mean that you get access to the best features and gameplay, it also means that games are regularly tested by external third parties to make sure they’re fair and random. For games made in-house, which are available at an increasing number of sweepstakes casinos, you can check the outcome of each round for yourself to make sure they are totally legit. Instant win games at Stake.us for example, like Plinko, Mines and Limbo, have inbuilt Provably Fair Systems using cryptocurrency technology. It’s possible to check the hash seeds for every result to confirm they are random and unpredictable.
1.
25 SC and 25K GC signup bonus
2.
Get 200% More Coins on First Purchase – 1.5M CC + 75 SC
3.
Get up to 500K Gold Coins + 105 FREE SC + 1000 VIP points
4.
120K GC + 60 SC FREE + a chance to win 500 SC FREE
5.
200% Daily Boost: 15.75 SC + 450K Coins
How to identify untrustworthy sweepstakes casinos
We’ve covered reliable sweeps casino features but, with so many sweepstakes casinos now open to players, it can be hard to sort the wheat from the dodgy sweepstakes casinos chaff. To make it easy, we’ve gathered up a checklist of features that can tell you whether a site is genuine or whether you should stay away:
🎮 Games from Limited Studios
Another big red flag of untrustworthy sweepstakes casinos is that games are provided by very limited studios. Not only does this mean you don’t have the same level of choice, these studios are often unknown and don’t come with the same clear external audit process as established providers such as Hacksaw Gaming, NetEnt, Habanero and 3 Oaks. Sometimes games may even be rigged so you won’t win.
📝 Strange Sign Up Systems
The sign up process at legit sweeps sites is simple and will involve completing a straightforward online form with a few personal details. The sign up system at untrustworthy sweeps casinos, in contrast, can be convoluted or expose you to possible scams. In fact, we’ve seen sign up processes where players are asked to message someone on WhatsApp or Facebook to register. That should raise instant alarm bells.
📜 Hidden Terms and Unclear Prize Redemptions
The terms and conditions of trustworthy sweepstakes casinos are clearly set out and accessible to players. Many sites even have FAQs that outline how the site works and how you can redeem prizes. At disreputable sweeps sites, this information tends to be hidden away or hard to access.
📞 Lack of Customer Support
Contacting customer support is a great way of finding out if a sweeps casino is legitimate or not. Customer support should be easy to access and give you clear responses. If the customer support at a site is not able to do this, shut it down and move on.
You’ve heard the expression: ‘there’s no such thing as a free lunch?’ Well, while many sweepstakes casinos have generous bonuses, especially for new players, sites with deals that seem too good to be true often are. Beware of deals that promise no deposit options, such as the
Vegas X no deposit
bonus. As sweepstakes casinos don’t support real money play, it’s not possible to make deposits, so this terminology is incorrect and misleading.
💳 No Mainstream Banking Options
You won’t ever need to make a purchase to play at sweeps casinos but, if you choose to, you want to know that reliable banking options are available. One of the ways to identify a dodgy sweepstakes casino is its lack of any reliable payment methods, such as Visa, Mastercard or PayPal.
Instead, unreliable sweeps casinos tend to offer lesser known methods such as CashApp. While CashApp is not necessarily a bad option, it works as a peer-to-peer platform and has limited customer support so any mistakes are hard to fix. In our experience, that makes it unsuitable for use at sweeps casinos.
Not sure whether a sweepstake casino is the real deal? Check out our reviews
We only ever link to legitimate and trustworthy sweepstakes casinos, so you can trust all of the links on our site. Before we recommend any brand, it’s put through a rigorous assessment process and given a full review by our panel of experts. You can read these reviews on our site, plus guides on welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions at the best sweepstakes casinos.
In the case of a less than reputable sweepstakes casino, we also give you a full overview and point you towards better alternatives. So, if your eye has been caught by the
Skills and Slots no deposit, we’ll tell you why it’s not worth claiming and direct you towards better alternatives.
Verdict – steer clear of untrustworthy sweepstakes casinos
We’ve come to the end of this guide but the bottom line is that it’s vital to make sure you’re only ever playing at reputable and reliable sweepstakes casinos. This will make sure your playing is safe and secure and ensures a positive experience. There are lots of tools you can use to help you choose legitimate brands, and our guides will always point you in the right direction.
Pay close attention to the areas we’ve outlined before signing up as these will tell you whether a site is legit. That includes checking the games providers, redemption rules, promotions and payment methods. Plus, you can discover the very best sweepstakes casinos by looking at our onsite banners. Each one has been tested and approved by our experts.
Join to claim these social casino bonuses
1.
25 SC and 25K GC signup bonus
Playthrough: 3x
2.
Get 200% More Coins on First Purchase – 1.5M CC + 75 SC
Playthrough: 1x Bonus
3.
Get up to 500K Gold Coins + 105 FREE SC + 1000 VIP points
4.
120K GC + 60 SC FREE + a chance to win 500 SC FREE
Playthrough: 1x Bonus
5.
200% Daily Boost: 15.75 SC + 450K Coins
Untrustworthy sweepstakes casinos FAQs
🧐 Are sweepstakes casinos legal in the US?
Sweepstakes casinos are completely permitted under US law because they don’t allow players to make deposits or withdrawals using real money. But, every sweepstakes casino operates in different states because of local regulations. Therefore, it’s essential to check the specifics for your chosen sweepstakes site.
😏 How can you tell if a sweepstakes casino is untrustworthy?
You can judge a sweeps casino’s legitimacy in a number of different ways. Untrustworthy sites tend to have limited banking and customer support options, and usually require players to make GC purchases. They also don’t have games from well established providers, and terms and conditions are typically murky, as we found in our look at the
Golden Clover no deposit
bonus and site.
💸 Can you win real money at sweepstakes casinos?
It’s not possible to win real money at sweeps casinos directly but you can redeem Sweepstakes Coins as real money prizes. To do this, you need to play through each SC a set number of times and accumulate a minimum balance, typically 100 SC.
🪙 How can I get free Gold and Sweepstakes Coins at sweeps casinos?
Our picks of reliable sweeps casinos didn’t get their place on our site thanks to their game selection alone. They’re also home to some of the best bonuses. You won’t find any no deposit offers as this isn’t possible at legitimate sweeps brands, so beware of promotions like ‘Fire Kirin no deposit’, but you can check out any of the sites we’ve linked for sign up bonuses featuring free GC and SC.
