Sweeps casinos are providing people all over the US with a fun and exciting way to play casino-style games online. It’s free to join, and you can even redeem some cash prizes too.
Best of all, it’s extremely easy to get involved and start playing.
On this page, we’re covering the basics. This is your simple guide to how sweeps casinos work, how to sign up and start playing now.
What Are Sweeps Casinos and How Do They Work?
Sweeps casinos are online gaming platforms which host casino-style games. It’s totally free to sign up and to play the games.
Sweeps sites can feel somewhat similar to traditional real money online casinos. The platforms and software tend to have a similar design and structure.
Indeed, many sweeps sites include versions of the exact same games you can play at real money casinos, from the same software providers.
But sweeps casinos are also very different from real money casinos, in a number of ways.
For one, from a legal perspective: sweeps casinos are not considered gambling sites and don’t require a gaming license. This makes them far more widely available.
Also, the model of gameplay is very different. None of the games at sweeps sites can be played for real money.
Instead, they can all be played for free using either Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins, types of virtual token.
Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins Overview
Sweeps casinos let you choose whether to play their games with GCs or SCs, and there are a few differences between the two.
Gold Coins are a little like play money at traditional online casinos. They have no real life value and are only used for playing games at sweeps casinos. They can’t be withdrawn or cashed in for prizes.
Sweeps Coins are similar, but when you win additional SCs you can redeem them for cash prizes – normally at a rate of $1 per Sweeps Coin.
While you can get both types of coins for free, you can also purchase additional Gold Coins, and if you do, you often receive some FREE Sweeps Coins. Sweeps Coins can never be purchased, only received for free.
You can also often get a number of both Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins for free every day, as part of a login bonus. Sweeps casinos also hand out them via promotional giveaways on social media, and you can send a written request for SCs via mail.
Check out more details about both Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins here.
Where Are Sweeps Casinos Legal?
Sweeps Casinos are totally legal in every state in the US, with the sole exception of Washington.
North of the border, they are also available everywhere in Canada except Quebec.
Compared with real money casinos, sweeps casinos are significantly more widely available. As of 2023, real money casinos were legal and regulated in just six states: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
If you’re located anywhere else in the country (except Washington), your best option to play all kinds of casino-style games online is likely to be at a sweeps casino.
As always, since this is a dynamic industry, we encourage you to double check the local laws and regulations in your own state before signing up to any site. But in terms of availability, sweeps sites are leading the game.
Getting Started at a Sweeps Casino
Getting set up at a sweeps casino is extremely easy.
Whichever sweepstakes casino you choose, creating an account should only take a minute or two. Normally, all you’ll need is your name, email address and to create a password.
You need to be at least 18 years old to sign up in most states, but we always recommend checking the regulations in your own state before signing up.
You’ll be given some coins right away, along with the option of purchasing more if you wish.
The community at sweeps sites also often sprawls far beyond the platform, to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. New players are welcomed with open arms, and offered advice and encouragement.
Redeeming Prizes
When you win additional Sweeps Coins they can be redeemed for cash prizes. With most sweeps sites, one Sweeps Coin corresponds to $1, and the money gets transferred back to you via the same method you used to buy Gold Coins.
Any Sweeps Coins you receive for free need to be gambled 1x before they are eligible to be redeemed. You also need to win a minimum amount before you make a redemption. At Chumba Casino for example, you need at least 100 SCs to make a redemption.
There is generally a short pending period when you request a redemption, and it might take a few days for the cash to reach your account.
Sweeps sites also need to verify your identity before they will process a redemption request. This needs to be done only once, and involves sending a copy of your identification to customer support staff.
Across all the top sweeps sites, the process for redeeming prizes is very simple.
Game Catalogue
The games at sweeps casinos are closely inspired by real money casino games, which are legal in a handful of states. Slots make up the bulk of the menu at sweeps sites, but you’ll also find sweeps versions of blackjack, roulette, video poker, bingo and many more.
Since sweeps sites began gaining popularity in the US, the variety of games has been steadily improving.
It’s the same story for the software providers. Social casinos like Chumba and Pulsz now actually feature games by the top casino software providers out there, like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, and Playtech.
While sweeps sites don’t yet have the same variety of games you can find at real money casinos, they are certainly trending in that direction.
