What Are Sweepstakes Casinos? How To Play Sweepstakes Casinos Online
Why Play at a Sweepstakes Casino?
If you’re new to sweepstakes gaming, you’re likely wondering how do sweepstakes casinos work? Sweepstakes casinos are a popular way to enjoy your favorite casino-style games for free. Instead of spending real money, these sites let you play with virtual currencies like coins and tokens with no real-money value. They also offer sweepstakes promotions, giveaways, prize draws, and social contests that you can enjoy for free.
Players from nearly every US state can enjoy sweepstakes casinos, except for Montana, Washington, and Michigan. Meanwhile, you can play them in Idaho. However, no cash prizes are allowed for redemptions.
How To Choose a Sweepstakes Casino
Choosing the right sweepstakes casino comes down to finding a site that matches your personal preferences. Multiple factors can go into picking the right site. Popular features include good game variety, rewarding bonuses and promos, a sleek mobile app, and plenty of prizes to redeem.
Prize Redemption Methods
What it means to “win” at a sweepstakes casino can vary from site to site. As these sites are free-to-play, players win coins that they can redeem for various prizes. These prizes often come in the form of draw entries for bigger prizes, gift cards, promotional items, and sometimes cash.

Bonuses and Daily Rewards
One of the best ways to enjoy your favorite sweeps games is by taking advantage of daily bonuses, rewards, and free coins while you play. The best sweepstakes sites offer exciting welcome offers, daily promos, and jackpot-style prizes.

Game Selection and Software Providers
The best online sweepstakes casinos provide players with extensive libraries of games. Some offer just as many titles, if not more, than traditional casinos. Whether you’re looking for slots or table-style games, consider sites that offer multiple regular and live dealer games.

Mobile App and Website Experience
Playing sweepstakes casinos is an excellent form of entertainment that you can enjoy from anywhere. As such, look for sites with modern, intuitive, and mobile-friendly apps that keep gameplay consistent and fun on any device.
Best Sweepstakes Casino for Beginners
Looking for the best sweepstakes casinos to enjoy your favorite casino-style games? Vegas Coins is one of the newest sweepstakes casinos on the market. It packs a serious punch with over 1,200 free-to-play games available and plenty of easy-to-claim bonuses.
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Vegas Coins
Our Rating
4/5 stars.
Vegas Coins offers an impressive catalogue of games, including over 1,100 slot-style titles.
New players can sign up within minutes and unlock 5,000 Gold Coins, plus 1 Sweeps Coin to start playing instantly. Regular players are rewarded daily with an additional 1,000 Gold Coins and 0.2 Sweeps Coins.
The site doesn’t offer the most table-style gaming options, but it still offers popular games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. Live dealers are energetic, and there are 30+ specialty games to enjoy.
Sweepstakes Casinos vs Social Casinos
What are sweepstakes casinos compared to social casinos? While both focus on free play, sweepstakes casinos usually include a larger variety of games, like table-style and live dealer, plus more varied prizes for redemption, which can include cash prizes.
Social casinos typically include a smaller library of games, often focused on slots-style games, and usually don’t offer prize redemption programs.
Sweepstakes Casinos vs Real Money Casinos
Sweepstakes casinos give players a fun way to enjoy their favorite casino-style games while earning rewards. This sweepstakes-based model uses virtual currencies like coins or tokens and not real money. As such, these casinos don’t require a gaming license and are more readily accessible and available in nearly every state across the US.
How To Sign up and Play at a Sweepstakes Casino
Signing up at a sweepstakes casino is incredibly easy. You’ll be up and running and collecting free tokens and coins in no time.
Step One — Create an Account
Because you’re playing for fun and free, signing up is a simple process without any extensive personal information needed. Simply provide your name and email, and verify your account through email.
Step Two — Choose Between Free Play or Sweepstakes Mode
No purchase is necessary at sweepstakes casinos, since all games can be played with free Gold Coins. Sweeps Coins are included as part of daily rewards, bonuses, mail-ins, and social media contests. You can also play in Sweeps Mode to win extra Sweeps Coins, which you can redeem for prizes like gift cards to popular retailers.
Step Three — Claim Your Welcome Bonus and Free Coins
Once you’ve signed up at one of the top online sweepstakes casinos, you’ll be instantly granted a welcome bonus with free coins or tokens. At Vegas Coins, 5,000 Gold Coins will give you plenty of action from the moment you sign up.
Step Four — Start Playing Sweepstakes Casino Games
Start enjoying your favorite games. The best sweepstakes sites will cover the favorites, from slots and table-style games to live dealer and specialty games. Some even have original titles to choose from.
Step Five — Redeem Winnings
If playing with Sweeps Coins, you’ll be eligible to win extra Sweeps Coins to unlock great prizes. Stack them up, head over to the redemption section at your sweepstakes site, and check out the exciting rewards on offer.
Are Sweepstakes Casinos Legal in the US?
Yes, sweepstakes casinos are legal in the US as they operate on a promotional platform where users play with free coins or tokens versus real money. As such, they don’t need a gambling license and can operate outside of federal gambling laws such as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
Currently, sweepstakes casinos are available in all but three states—Montana, Washington, and Michigan. Idaho also limits the types of redemptions that are available from winning games.
Responsible Playing at Sweepstakes Casinos
We encourage all players to play responsibly while enjoying sweepstakes casinos. Remember that online casino-style gaming is a form of entertainment. Set purchasing limits and time limits. Budget your expenses ahead of time to avoid purchasing more tokens than you can afford to. Keeping these tips in mind will help you have fun and remain responsible.
If you are over-preoccupied with thoughts about playing online casino games or exceed your budget regularly, you might benefit from some help. Consider the resources below if you recognize the warning signs and symptoms in yourself or a loved one:
Responsible Playing Resources
- AGA Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct (as support by the NBA)
- Have a Game Plan — Complete Responsible Gambling Resource
- Gambling Responsibly America App (Downloadable)
Key Takeaways for Online Sweepstakes Casinos
We’ve explored the ins and outs of what sweepstakes casinos are, how they work, and how they differ from real-money and social casinos. You’ve also learned what features to focus on when choosing where to play, from game selection to prize redemption and bonuses.
You’re now ready to explore what sweepstakes casinos are out there and start playing with confidence. We recommend Vegas Coins for newcomers or anyone looking for a fresh platform. Get ready to enjoy legal, free-to-play casino-style gaming with real prize potential.
FAQs
What Are Sweepstakes Casinos?
Sweepstakes casinos let players play their favorite casino-style games using free-to-play coins. Instead of using real money, players can choose to purchase additional coins or win special Sweeps Coins to redeem for fun rewards.
Are Sweepstakes Casinos Different from Real-Money Casinos?
Yes, sweepstakes casinos are different from real-money casinos in that they use coins or tokens with no real cash value. Players can win these through games, daily logins, mail-in entries, or social giveaways, which in turn can be redeemed for prizes.
Can I Win Real Money at Sweepstakes Casinos?
Sweepstakes casinos are for entertainment only, and players cannot win real money by playing their games. Upon winning Sweeps Coins, players can redeem them for various prizes or rewards, which may have cash value.
Do I Need to Pay at Sweepstakes Casinos?
Sweepstakes casinos are free-to-play, no purchase necessary. All players can receive daily bonuses of free coins to enjoy their favorite games. However, additional coins are available for purchase if desired.
How Do I Redeem My Winnings?
Players can enjoy sweepstakes casinos with free coins and tokens, such as Gold Coins. By winning more Sweeps Coins, you can redeem them for prizes that vary by platform.
What Games Can I Play at Sweepstakes Casinos?
Sweeps casinos offer players all the popular casino-style games you’d find at a regular online casino. Enjoy thousands of slots-style and table-style games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, plus live dealer and specialty titles like bingo and keno.
Are Sweepstakes Casinos Safe and Fair?
Yes, sweepstakes casinos are safe and fair as they’re owned and operated by registered businesses, often in the United States. Still, do your own research and look for secure payment methods and fair play tools like random number generators (RNGs).
Can I Play Sweepstakes Casinos Outside the US?
Sweepstakes casinos are available to play in nearly every US state and can be enjoyed in other countries like Canada and overseas. They don’t require a legal gaming license, which makes them more accessible. Still, check your site’s terms and conditions for availability in your area
